Through the Looking Glass: Pantoufle Noir
by The Celestial Sky Dragon
Summary: Alternate Ending to Through the Looking Glass: Several years have passed since graduation, and Blake misses his friends. All of them have moved on and started families. His bandmates are busy, and he is all alone, with only booze to keep him company. But one day, one of his closest friends knocks on his door. He will finally see Ashlynn Ella differently than before. Blake x Ashlynn
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

 **Hello everyone and welcome to another brand new Alternate Ending Through the Looking Glass. This is going to be Ashlynn's ending, and will be an ending to the entire story. I will try my best not to contain story spoilers through it, until certain events from Through the Looking Glass come to fruition. This is going to be an alternate universe, so don't take whatever happens here as fact. I may include some stuff from this chapter in the official canon ending of Through the Looking Glass, but I also might not. This is just a fun little look at the future for Blake and Ashlynn.**

 **Matter of fact, I'm working on the ending of Chapter 63 which will also contain the segway to Apple's ending, which will most likely contain a Lemon chapter. I did say before that not all of those will contain a lemon, but This will be based on the ending of Chapter 63, so I'm gonna include it for fun. I'll most likely tweak some things after writing Way Too Wonderland. I also did this because I want to explore Snow White's reaction, especially once Way Too Wonderland is over. Snow White through out the dragon games wants Apple to fix her image, so her dating a Rebel is definitely a big no no in Snow White's book. It will be quite interesting to see that from a different point of view, though it might not change much from the canon whenever I get around to writing Dragon Games.**

 **This chapter contains mentions of Alcohol Abuse...I tried my hardest to find a way to break Hunter and Ashlynn up...and this was the only way that it made sense. I know it's fucked up of me, but as you read this I hope you understand the reason behind why this shit happened. It isn't me bashing on Hunter, I mean he's a cool character and one of Blake's bros, so I would never do that. But stress, coupled with traumatic events leads people to go to the things they would never do in order to get the edge off. So please don't hate me for the way I have chosen to portray Hunter in this story, I assure you he will redeem himself later on in this alternate story.**

 **I am actually in the process of writing chapter 2 for this, since this is going to be a story in the future, it's the only one that I will be actively writing for, since most of the stuff will be future events and will contain no spoilers until certain arcs have been written. This story might actually be a bit longer than five chapters, which is my goal for most of these alternate stories. Most of them will be in high school, with the last two chapters being in the future, so some of this stuff will be similar depending on the story.**

 **I will be updating the main story in a few days, once I get my supply of chapters ready to post. As soon as I finish one chapter I actually write a new chapter for the alternate segways. I'll be writing Apple's after I finish chapter 63 so I won't be able to post chapter 2 of this story until after tomorrow, unless I put of CHapter 64 to work on chapter 2 of this...yes, confusing isn't it? Indeed it is. I will say that Chapters 62 and 63 will be two parters, or rather they will be paired chapters all revolving around Apple White's birthday bash, so look forward to that!**

 **Let me know what you think of this chapter, I stayed up until three am to write it so let me know what you all think. I hope you all have a wonderful day/night!**

Through the Looking-Glass

Alternate Universe 2

Ashlynn's Happily Ever After

 _ **(Alternate Ending to Through the Looking Glass)**_

A sigh escaped his lips as he cracked open his eyes. His vision was blurred for several seconds, finally clearing showing him the familiar wooden ceiling above him, painted white and decorated with a ceiling fan. He sat up, groaning in pain. He had then remembered he had passed out in the couch, causing the stinging pain to his lumbago. Another shooting pain sliced through his head as if he had been stabbed with a knife. Glancing at his coffee table, he saw an empty bottle of Whiskey and a tipped over glass. He instantly realized what he had done the night before and was already regretting it. He stood up from his couch, stumbling out of the living room toward the stairwell that lead to the second floor of his house. He walked into the first door to his left, and hurled into the nearby toilet. The sloshy contents filled the bowl, which he rapidly flushed as to not see it any longer.

He slowly stood up, grabbing the counter to pull himself up. He opened the tap and sucked some of the cool water into his mouth, swishing it around and spitting it out. He glanced up at the mirror, seeing his reflection.

It had been five years since Blake Queen had graduated from Ever After High. Six since he had landed in the Fairy Tale world. A lot of things had happened during those years, good things, bad things...and sad things. But in the end, he had graduated with high honors and had successfully proven that destiny wasn't set in stone. For the first time in several generations, the students of the school were free to do with their lives what they wanted, and they're stories didn't disappear. They're pages, were all nestled safely within, ready to be signed or passed on to their children if they decided.

He had grown quite tall in that time, being six feet even now. His hair had grown past his shoulders, he hadn't gotten it cut in quite some time. The long fringe that normally covered his right eye was currently a mess of violet, green and crimson. His face no longer resembled the cute boyish one he had while in high school. He now had more chiseled features, a firm jawline, bright green eyes and a bit of a shadow on his face due to not having shaved. He was still a lean young man, having taken his regimen seriously, he still trained his martial arts and parkour when he had the time.

He grabbed a hold of his tooth brush and spread some toothpaste onto it, shoving it in his mouth. His head still hurt from the hangover he had, it wasn't pleasant but he would accept it as his punishment. He had been quite lonely as of late...all of his friends were busy with their lives. It had been three months since Purple Rhapsody had returned from they're tour around Ever After and the other realms, with Wonderland being the final realm they had visited. It had been wonderful to see Lizzie, Kitty, Alistair, Bunny and Maddie again.

It was also great to see his best friend Lucy, or Gloriosa as she insisted on being called now. While they still visited Ever After, they still had things to do in Wonderland. Lizzie was helping her mother run Wonderland, so she often didn't have time to hang out. Alistair and Bunny were raising their daughter so they were busy all the time. Kitty and Maddie had opened a cafe in Ever After that also worked as a prank shop, so they were always busy running the business. It was a blessing just to even get a text from them.

It was the same for his bandmates...Dexter and Raven had gotten married four years prior, he had been asked to be the best man, an honor which he was still proud of. It had been an emotional day for him and his friends, especially since they got to see Raven finally rewrite her destiny with the man she loved. It was even more of an impact when she announced her pregnancy during the reception. They had to go to the hospital that night, and it wasn't because of Raven, it was because Dexter had fainted at the news. He had a beautiful niece named Zelda Queen Charming, named after Dexter was introduced to Legend of Zelda by Jessica, he had barely put the game down afterwards.

Cupid was still single, and was currently a teacher back on Mount Olympus. The only reason she had agreed to the tour was because it was summer break and she had a lot of time to travel with her friends. She had finally become an angel after getting two stubborn people to see the error of their ways and make them fall in love. Her ascension had been the talk of the realm for quite a long time, as not many cherubs made it to full angel so young in life. She could finally fly with her own wings, and she was quite ecstatic about that.

Melody was also single, and had taken a job at Ever After High, teaching a supplementary music course apart from her father. The Pied Piper taught classical music, while she taught more modern and computerized music. She was still just as loved by the students as she was when she was a student. She had grown into a fine woman, and made the perfect drinking buddy whenever she had the free time. That of course left his last bandmate and former girlfriend, Cerise Hood.

True to her word, Cerise had told everyone her secret at the very end of Graduation day. She had been scared about what they all thought, but she had been accepted just as she was. Blake was extremely proud of her for finally telling people her secret. He and Cerise had been talking again, and he had thought that they could rekindle what they had lost. However, she decided at the last moment that she just wanted to stay friends, which he was okay with. He had tried asking her out various times, and most of the time she agreed to his advances, but other times he was rejected.

He only found out at the beginning of summer before they're tour that she was engaged to another man. Another man that had turned out to be Daring and Dexter's cousin Derrick Charming. He had been completely taken aback by the news, even more by the giant rock on her finger, but he had been happy nonetheless. As long as she was happy that was what mattered. That of course lead to a downward spiral of self loathing and binge drinking.

After he finished brushing his teeth, he walked into his bedroom and grabbed a change of clothes. He didn't like going out hungover, so he wasn't going to dress up for anything. Once he had the appropriate clothes, he went back into the bathroom for a shower, hoping that would ease the throbbing in his head. He sighed, leaning against the tile wall, thinking about his other friends.

Hunter and Ashlynn had yet to get married, the two had been together for six years. He had met with Hunter a few days after their tour finished and he didn't exactly seem normal. When he had asked how Ashlynn was doing, he just got really mad and started downing bourbon like no tomorrow. He was hoping the alcohol would at least get him to open up a bit, but the son of the Huntsman didn't crack at all. He had changed a bit too, having grown taller, being five foot eleven in height. He didn't shave half of his head anymore, deciding to keep his hair long and in a ponytail. He had more chiseled features now, slightly bulkier arms and a toned chest. He had been working out a lot, all while advocating for the animals.

He had in fact not seen Ashlynn in quite awhile, but he did talk to her quite often on the phone. She always tried to stay upbeat, but he could tell there was something bothering her. Whenever he asked, she always clammed up, made up a reason or just hung up. He had been trying to see her, but she lived in High Village with Hunter so he barely had time to actually make it there. Cadence had grown so big that she had to stay at Ever After so he had to ride to the school on horseback to get there.

After graduating high school, he had bought a log cabin in a village of the outskirts of Cendrillion. He wasn't going to miss out on the chance of living near Cinderella's castle after all. Since Ashlynn didn't sign her page, the lovable queen had lived and her people absolutely adored her. He did some garden work for her a few times a week, so he had kept in contact. Even she had expressed worry for her daughter, but expressed that she was an adult and could come and go as she pleased. It made him sad knowing that Ashlynn hadn't visited her mother in a long time. Made him want to talk some sense into her too.

His log cabin was rather rustic in style. It had two bedrooms, one master bedroom, his room, and a guest room. He had converted his living room into his hang out, having decorated it in the same fashion as his former dorm back in Ever After High. His walls were lined with bookshelves stacked to the brim with different manga series and animes. Jessica still visited, and often times stayed over. She had been considering building a tower adjacent to his house, and he had even agreed on allowing her to do it, but she hadn't yet decided. His guest room was mostly used as a nursery, but since Zelda was a toddler now, she didn't sleep in her crib anymore. She liked sleeping with her uncle in his bed, and he often times let it happen, having read some stories to her to get her to sleep. He treated her like his own.

He shook his head a bit, more pain shooting through his head. He grabbed the frilly shampoo Holly had told him to use, and started lathering his hair with it. Even after Graduation, he had remained close friends with the Twins, who were his personal stylists. They had decided not to live they're destinies, and had even told they're friends that Poppy was actually older than Holly by a hair, making her the true heiress to the Rapunzel destiny. It was quite the shock to everyone, but they had accepted it. Holly was an accomplished novelist, having turned all of her stories into successful novels. Her current series was called Red Riding Hood, Tales from the Dark Woods, and Cerise was the main character of it. She had just released the third part of the series and had said she was working on her fourth book for the series. The people just ate it up.

He had kept in touch with most of his friends, and he missed them dearly, but now that he was living alone, the loneliness truly hurt. He hadn't been able to qualify for knight training, so he had unfortunately broken his promise to Darling. When he was younger, he had a nasty break in his leg, and that had disqualified him from ever being a knight. Darling was the first woman to actually become a knight, and part of Snow White's Royal Guard, thus proving to her father that a woman could become a hero.

She had been an ambassador in foreign realms, making connections for Snow White, and had been sent to war twice already, though thankfully not in Ever After. Some guy named Blueblood had apparently grown bored and wanted to wage war, and Darling had almost lost her life when she had been captured by him. She had tried her best not to kill anyone while in battle, but that was the only person she had actually decapitated. She didn't like talking about it much.

Daring had actually become the next Beast, so he and Rosabella had gotten quite close. They had married right out of high school, not exactly fulfilling they're destiny, but at least fulfilling one part of it. They had a three year old little boy named Daring Jr, and an infant little girl named Bella, in honor of her mother.

To Blake, it seemed as if everyone was starting to pair up and start families. Even Duchess had moved on, finally finding the man of her dreams, and that had been quite the shocker to him. The two were joined at the hip, and she hadn't even told him she had been dating someone whenever they got together for a drink. It made him seem like a big loser by comparison, the girl that had been in love with him for years, had found someone else. It was as if the world was spiting him, he could almost hear the Evil Queen laughing at him.

He finished his shower, having felt the cold water on his skin. He hadn't realized he had been lost in memory lane for far longer than he had expected. He grabbed his tower and rapidly dried off, hopping into his underwear, putting on his white socks. He dried his hair off, shaking his head a bit, finally being free of the migraine he had woken up with. He grabbed his basketball shorts and slipped them on, followed by a faded Pusheen shirt, the same one he had worn on the day he had arrived to Ever After. He had used some magic to make it a little bigger for his current body, he wasn't ready to part with it just yet. It was the last thing of his world he had left.

He started heading back down the stairs, into his spacious kitchen. It had been one of the reasons why he had purchased the cabin. It had beautiful oak cabinets, with black granite counter tops, stainless steel sinks, twin gas stoves, an island in the center of it with a pot hanger over it. It also had a large stainless steel refrigerator, the kind that one could actually control with their MirrorPhone. It had all cost quite a lot, the entire property had been purchased for nearly 200,000 Gold. It was nothing to him, seeing as he was still a famous singer. He had quite the nest egg, but he doubted he and his bandmates could continue making music due to their busy lives.

He decided to put on a kettle for some tea. He wasn't feeling coffee this early in the morning, especially since Maddie had practically gotten him off coffee entirely. While he did that, he had decided to grab something quick to eat, a can of spaghetti and meatballs which he proceeded to eat cold. He smirked a bit to himself, leaning against the counter.

"Ah man, twenty-three years old and I still act like I'm sixteen. Where do the years go, I wonder?" he asked, his voice sounding deep and firm.

A loud chiming bell filled his ears, startling him out of his thoughts. He had wondered what it had been until it rung again. It was only then that his half sleeping brain realized that it was his door bell. He rapidly finished his breakfast, tossing the can in the trash and the spoon in the sink. He grabbed a napkin, wiping his mouth clean shoving it into his pocket. He was wondering if it was a package or something, since he didn't get many visitors. He paused to fix his hair a bit before opening the door, expecting a mailman on the other side of the wooden barrier.

He was not prepared for who was on the other side however. It was a young woman, around his age, with fair colored skin and bright green eyes. She had long auburn colored hair, with streaks of gold highlights in her hair. She wore a beautiful golden tiara atop her head, a long strand of hot pink hair falling down the left side of her face. She was wearing a beautiful sleeveless silken dress, the top of it was magenta in color, with hot pink and gold threading forming various flowers and birds on it. The bottom part of the dress was blue in color, the skirt reaching down to just above her knees. Various roses and flowers had been embroidered into the cloth, along with more birds and butterflies. He noticed she was wearing a golden necklace, with a bluebird charm on it, and was holding a small leather bag in her hands.

She was a rather curvy young woman, and was very tall for a woman her age. Though that was most likely due to the heels she was wearing. She had a beautiful face, soft features, bright eyes a small nose and full pink lips. She was definitely a looker, and judging by some of the other young men that had passed by the house in the two minutes he had been standing there, it was obvious she was an attention grabber.

He was honestly rather confused. Why would a young woman like this come to his house of all places. She looked familiar, but he couldn't recall exactly who she was, or where he had even met her. He was about to ask her something, but she beat him to the punch, looking down at the ground as she did.

"Hi Blake, it's been awhile hasn't it?"

"Um...do I know you?" he asked curiously. Her eyes widened a bit, a giggle leaving her lips.

"It really has been awhile, it's me...Ashlynn?" she said. He blinked a few times, glancing at the floor, seeing a rather fancy pair of glass heels on her feet, the straps of which wrapped around her leg, and were glittering brightly. He gasped a bit, a look of shock on his face.

"Ashlynn! Oh my god, look at you! You look gorgeous, I didn't even recognize you...you've grown taller."

"So have you, it's been two years since we actually saw each other. You look good with stubble." she replied, causing him to reach up to his face.  
"Oh...I knew I forgot something." he muttered. He shook his head, opening the door a little wider.

"Would you like to step inside?" he asked, earning a nod from the girl. She nodded, reaching to her left, grabbing the handle of a suitcase, which he hadn't even seen. She stepped into the house, her eyes scanning the living room.

"Just like your dorm back in school...the more things change, the more they stay the same eh?"

"I suppose...what's with the suitcase? Visiting the folks?" he asked curiously, closing the door after her. She frowned, sweeping some hair behind her ear as she set her bag down on the couch.

"No, well...yes...I'm going to be staying with my parents for the week. I haven't seen them in quite awhile after all. After that, I'll be staying with Briar, she got a flat in Meadow Brooke. She is an actress now, after all."

"Ah right...I forgot Briar was filming a new movie...a live action Beauty and the Beast I think...kind of ironic since it's in fact her cousin who has that destiny." he said, earning a nod from Ashlynn.

"I've told her that, she just says she acts whatever her manager slides her way. Who would have thought Briar Beauty would actually be a successful actress after high school?"

"Certainly none of us, she was voted most likely to sleep through her mid 20s after all. She's just doing this to prove them wrong, kind of a shame that she still has to deal with the pricking curse, even after rewriting her destiny. Would you like anything? I got a kettle on if you want some tea." he said.

"That sounds lovely actually, mind showing me your kitchen? Raven says your house is amazing. I guess living in a castle is much to boring for her."

"Tell me about it, she messages me every other week asking me to take care of Zelda, just so she has a reason to come here. I love her to death, but if she really used her head, she could buy herself a cabin just like this one...this is the kitchen." he said, allowing the girl to walk in first. She gasped looking around the spacious kitchen. She walked toward the island placing a hand on the cool granite.

"This is beautiful, Raven was right! This kitchen is so much better than the one I used to have back in High Village." she said, causing Blake to give her a confused look. He added more water to the kettle, turning the heat up a bit. He snapped his fingers, conjuring a pair of cups, plates and spoons, along with some sugar.

"What do you mean used to?" he asked, leaning against the counter. The young woman frowned, glancing away from the boy. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

"You asked me a few weeks back if I was doing alright. The truth is, I'm not...me and Hunter broke up." she said.

"What? Are you for real?" he cried, utter disbelief on his face. She gave him a nod, further confirming her statement.

He couldn't believe what the girl was saying. She and Hunter had been together for the longest time, had fought for their love through thick and thin. They had been voted most likely to have a beautiful family. He had been expecting them to get married at some point, Hunter had even shown him the ring he was going to give her after they left high school. To hear this was completely heartbreaking, he just didn't know how to react. What to do, what to think, what to even feel. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to regain his composure.

"Okay...I apologize for how I reacted...would you mind explaining what happened so I can understand this mind fuck?" he asked.

"Sure thing. Me and Hunter started arguing about two years ago, it was something small at first, but it blew up rather fast. I started to see him start changing. He was focused more on saving the animals, which is completely fine. But he spent more time outside, and drank a lot more. Eventually he started coming home late, and I told him I didn't think it was appropriate for him to be doing that kind of thing."

"Hmm...I do recall him drinking heavily the last time we got together. Daring had invited us to his castle to have a week on the town and he was always drinking...any reason why?" he asked.

"I'm not sure...but I think it has to do with his mother passing away. He started growing more angry, since he got along with her better than his father. He didn't hit me, but he did insult me at times whenever he was drinking. I told him I wasn't going to marry him if he kept it up. Apparently, there was more to it than that...he was angry because I didn't want to have sex with him until we were married."

"Oh...wait you're still a virgin? Damn Ash, props for keeping your urges back." he said, making her giggle.

"Thanks, but it's just something I wanted to do. He told me it was bullshit that his friends were getting married while I was just a prude who wanted a ring on my finger. He didn't want to get married yet, because he didn't want to tie himself down. It was something completely different than what I was expecting. He started hanging out with other girls...I didn't think anything of it, but I had a nagging feeling in my chest."

"Oh my god...did he cheat on you? Ashlynn tell me if he did...I'll rearrange his fucking face if that's the truth!" he snapped, eyes glowing violet with anger. She shook her head, placing her hand over his own.

"No no...he didn't cheat on me, or have sex with anyone else. But it was obvious that he wanted to. One day, he got home really late and started shouting like he always did when he was drunk. I couldn't take it anymore, so I told him that I didn't want him in my house if he was going to start screaming. That was the first time he slapped me." she said, bowing her head almost shamefully. Blake grit his teeth in anger...his hand clenched so tight he swore his nails had cut his palm. Ashlynn sniffled, wiping a tear from her eyes.

"He was sorry, he apologized a zillion times and held me like he used too. I told him he had a problem and that he needed to get help. But he didn't want any help...he said he would quit on his own, and he did. He got rid of all the alcohol. Everything was getting better, for six months everything was fine...that is until I caught him sneaking alcohol into the house. An occasional drink was fine but I watched him downing bottles of Jack almost daily. I told him that he had one final chance to quit and get some help, but he told me he had enough of my bullshit and told me to leave. After all, he had bought the house so he made the rules."

"Oh Ashlynn, sweetheart I'm sorry. I didn't think Hunter had turned into an alcoholic. He was always so happy when we hung out, I didn't even know his mother had passed away." the black haired man replied, hugging his friend tightly.

She hugged him back, holding back her tears. She felt a choking feeling in her throat, it had been a long time since all of this had happened. But it was so fresh to her. Feeling the warmth of his arms, and the security that she had gotten, that she was safe there, it made her feel immensely better.

"Thank you Blake, I've been needing a hug for the past nine months. It's been hard, having to stay in various places...I've stayed with everyone I was friends with. I just came from Blondie's place in Bookend. It was so nostalgic seeing the high school again, but I just couldn't stay there any longer."

"It's fine sweetheart, I understand. If you want you can stay here for as long as you like...I doubt you want to go back home permanently anyway. Plus you can always visit your parents whenever you like." he suggested, causing her to back away from him, looking into his eyes.

"Are you sure? I can't impose like that."

"Of course...it gets a bit lonely being by myself. I don't work, seeing as I've made some investments and increased my funds from the band. I have no issue with letting you live here, you're my friend." he said, grabbing the tea kettle as it started whistling. He turned the stove off, pouring the water into the two tea cups.

"Thank you for this Blake...but I'm not gonna just live here for free. Even if I'm a princess, I plan to pay for my own things. There are actually a few places in town that are in need of housekeepers. I like cleaning so it's a good source of income." she replied, graciously accepting the tea he had offered.

"Come on Ashlynn, you don't have to pay for a thing! Whatever you want, or need I got you. You've helped me out so much since we met...I know, if you want we can open a new shoe store here in town. I could even help you with stock, just like the old days."

"I couldn't ask you for that...I've been meaning to open up a new store but...I'm not sure if I can do it anymore. Hunter used to help me out with everything, it feels empty without him there." she replied, a frown on her face.

"Forget about him, this is all about you sweetheart. Besides, I owe you a favor for that Stellanium crystal you helped me find all those years ago. I saw a storefront in town the other day, it's nice and big and right next to the market place. I can get in touch with some companies have some shoes sent right to the location, once we buy it of course." Blake said, reaching into his pocket for his MirrorPhone.

"I dunno...this is all so sudden."

"Remember what Holly said...if you let fear consume you, you won't ever be able to do anything in life. Her words have carried me through a lot of dark moments in life you know." he said, giving her a wink. She smiled, a genuine smile of happiness.

"You're right Blake, I can't let the past hold me back. So I'll let go of it and make a new beginning...I knew coming here was a good idea!"

"I'm glad...I at least get one thing out of it...I won't be alone anymore." he said happily, taking a sip from his cup.

"No one deserves to be alone...I think living close to home will be good for me. It's been four years since I've been home. My mom and dad always went to visit us back in High Village, so it feels nice to be able to visit them for a change."

"Mhmm, for now we need to go shopping and get some stuff for the guest room. I have it set up for my niece, but she ends up sharing a bed with me whenever she's over here anyway. You should see her, she's absolutely precious." he said, a grin on his face.

"Hehe, I've heard...I've been dying to meet her in person. I still remember when Dexter passed out a couple years ago. Now that I think about it, Raven's wedding was the last time we actually spoke like this...time flies doesn't it?" Ashlynn asked, earning a nod from Blake.

"Yes it does. Give me some time to get ready and we can head out, I'm sure your parents are dying to see you again." he said, leaving the kitchen a second later.

 _ **xxx**_

A few days had passed since Ashlynn had reappeared in Blake's life. It had only been around eight days, but his life had already become much brighter. They were still getting the Glass Slipper ready for its grand opening, but already people were looking forward to seeing the new store. When it had been discovered that the daughter of Cinderella was the owner, every woman, girl and teenager had lined up asking Blake when the store would open. He hadn't given them a date but he told him he was working on it. He had to give them some autographs just to calm them down a bit, even after so many years, Purple Rhapsody's fame reached infinite bounds within the Fairytale world.

His house, which had normally been a bit dreary. He was prone to get bored and that usually lead to him taking a walk through town. He would get home play some online games with whatever random lobby he got stuck with and drink whenever he lost a round. That usually ended with him being drunk on the couch, usually ending in a splitting headache the next day. He had forgotten Ashlynn had actually been staying with him one day and spent almost all night playing video games and drinking. He had gotten a rude awakening the next day when she literally poured a gallon of cold water on his face. He already knew she hated alcohol and she didn't want to see her friend falling to it's clutches. So he drank in moderation and made sure not to pass out on the couch anymore.

But on good days when he did fall asleep on the couch he was greeted by her beautiful singing. All of the windows were open whenever he came downstairs, and various small birds were flying around her, helping her take care of various chores in the house. She always had breakfast for him, he would prepare lunch and the two would work on dinner. It had become a routine for him now, a very welcome routine. He was at least glad that Ashlynn was feeling much better now that she had been away from Hunter.

He was disappointed in his friend, but he still thought of him as a brother. Of course the next time he saw him, he would have words with him. He needed an explanation after all, alcohol drove people to do a lot of stupid things, and he knew that very well. He understood what it was like to mourn the loss of someone, he had experienced that for most of his life in Ever After. But that didn't mean you had the right to slap the one you loved, that's what was pissing him off over all. Ashlynn had told him to forget about it, but he truly never would.

"So Ash, what's on the agenda today?" he asked, after he had finished washing the last of the dishes. The auburn haired woman glanced at her phone, humming a small tune.

"Stocking the last of the shoes and getting everything ready for the opening. I'm really excited, if this store is as successful as the one I had in Bookend, then it is definitely going to bring in a lot of money. I'm glad Blondie agreed to let us use the name."

"Well you sold the store to her when you and Hunter left, technically speaking the name was yours. But now that this is considered a branch store, it will definitely bring in a lot of attention." he replied.

"That's what I'm hoping for. But please Blake, don't start putting the shoes on, we don't need someone to see that." Ashlynn said, earning a smirk from the boy.

"You just don't want me to show off my smooth legs. You are just jealous that I look better in your heels than you do!" he exclaimed, causing the girl to laugh, rather loudly at that. She flicked a tear from her eye, her cheeks flushed crimson.

"Yeah right, as if I want to stop you from doing that. You can show off your amazingly smooth legs if you want, just not in my shoes." she said, in an almost scolding tone.

"Oh alright, but you owe me one." he replied, giving her a wink. His phone started ringing, causing him to sigh audibly. He picked up the call, putting it on speaker.

"Busy day?"

"Maybe. Who dares disturb Blake on this fine Wednesday morn?" he said, his tone deep and gruff.

" _It's your favorite sister of course. I was wondering if you'd do me a favor."_

"Sure Rae, what's up?" he asked, curiosity written on his face.

" _I need you to watch Zelda for me, I have a doctors appointment today and you know she gets bored if they're no toys around."_

"Eh...shit...I mean yeah sure, I don't have an issue watching her, but I'm sort of busy today. I'm helping Ashlynn with her new store."

" _Ashlynn is opening a new store? In Cendrillion?"_ the woman asked, clearly surprised.

"Yup. We should be ready by next week...I'll take care of Zelda, I have some coloring books for her anyway." he said.

" _Okay, if it's really no trouble, I'm sure Darling can also watch her. She's taking time off from the Guard, and she loves her niece just as much as you do."_

"No no, it's fine. Ashlynn has been dying to meet her, so this is the perfect chance, so get your evil butt here already. I wanna hug my awesome sister!"

" _Okay, okay...we're just about to land...see you in a few minutes."_ Raven replied, ending the call right after.

"Well, now you finally get to meet Zelda...are you alright Ashlynn? You've been oddly quiet since the beginning of that call." he said, earning a small frown from the woman.

"I'm fine...I just haven't heard Raven's voice in so long. I'm a little nervous, especially after so many years. So many of my friends don't know me and Hunter broke up, and it isn't something I like talking about often."

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want too. If you let me, I can explain it to Raven in private, it isn't something Zelda has to hear anyway." he replied. It wasn't long before the familiar sound of the doorbell filled the house.

Blake gave Ashlynn a confident smile as the two of them headed into the living room. She stayed back a bit, glancing at the floor nervously. She wasn't scared of seeing her friend again, she was in fact very excited. She just wasn't prepared mentally for all of the questions, and to relive those memories. Whenever she thought about Hunter and the love they had shared, she always remembered his downward spiral into alcoholism. She cared for him dearly, but the man that she had fallen in love with was long gone. The door opened, and Blake was almost knocked over by a little girl, who jumped into his arms.

"Uncle Blake!" she cried excitedly, causing the young man to hug her back.

"There's my favorite niece! You look so cute today, look at you!" he said, holding the girl up, her laughter filling the house with joy.

Much like her mother, she had pale skin and dark violet eyes. Her hair was a mixture of dark purple and light brown, a trait she had gotten from her parents. She was wearing a long sleeved tan shirt, with a lavender colored skirt, light pink leggings and matching flats.

Standing behind her was her mother Raven Queen Charming. She had barely changed over the years, having grown slightly taller than she was in her high school years. She had her hair tied into a high ponytail, and wore a golden tiara on her head. She was wearing a violet leather jacket, over a lavender smock top. She wore a pair of black jeans, along with armored riding boots. Her eyes were lined with dark make up, she was also wearing violet lipstick as she normally did in school. She was holding some leather reins in her hands, belonging to her dragon Nevermore, who was currently outside.

"Uncle, I'm your only niece." the three year old said. He chuckled, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"I know that, but one day your mommy will have more babies. You'll be my favorite no matter what, because you are my Princess Zelda." he said, hugging her tightly.

"It's nice to see you Blake, it's also good to see that you aren't hungover."

"I made sure he would kick that nasty habit of his Raven. He's not gonna get hungover while I'm here." Ashlynn said, making her look right at her, a look of surprise on her face.

"Ashlynn, it's been such a long time...look at you, you look beautiful in that dress." she said, pulling the girl into a hug.

"Thank you Raven, you look good yourself. Considering the fact that you are a mother now...so this is little Zelda?" she asked, turning to the little girl, who buried her face in Blake's shoulder.

"Don't be scared sweetheart...this is my friend Ashlynn. Me and your mom went to school with her, we've been friends for years now. Say hi."

"Hello." the little girl said, finally looking at the auburn haired woman, who gave her a warm smile.

"Hello Zelda, it's so nice to meet you. You can call me Ash if you want, or Lynn, I don't mind either."

"Okay, I'll call you Auntie Lynn. Is Uncle Blake in love with Auntie Lynn?"

"Eh? Why would you ask me that you little rascal?!" Blake replied, tickling the little girl's tummy causing her to laugh and squirm in his arms. Ashlynn blushed brightly, looking at the floor.

"So Ash, how are you and Hunter doing? I haven't heard much from either of you. Are you two married yet?" Raven asked, causing the girl to look away, a frown on her face.

"Hey Ashlynn, why don't you go make Zelda a snack? You can teach her how to sing too."

"Um...sure, I'd love too. Come on Zelda, what would you like to eat?" she asked, taking a hold of her hand.

"I want chocolate pudding!"

"That's not healthy, how about some fruits instead? Apples and grapes are really sweet and good for you too." she replied, earning a nod from the little girl. Blake pulled Raven outside, closing the door behind him. He leaned against the wall, patting Nevermore's snout when she got close to him.

"Raven, there's a reason why Ashlynn is here with me right now. She actually moved in with me, she and Hunter broke up."

"Huh? You're shitting me right?" she asked, clearly taken aback by what he had told her. He sighed, shaking his head.

"Fraid not, they started arguing a couple years ago when his mother passed away. He took to alcohol to drown his sorrows, and would always come home drunk. He also got pissed off at her, since she wanted to be engaged before they had sex. It got really nasty between them, he even slapped her once. They broke up six months after, it's almost been a year since then. She's been staying with all of our friends, she came from Blondie's last week." he said.

"Oh my godmother...I didn't think...Hunter? Drinking?" she asked. Blake nodded, a frown on his face.

"I know, it's hard to believe. You've got no idea what it's like to know that your brother is wasting his life away. Not just that, he let alcohol separate him from the sweetest person any of us have ever met. Poor thing, she cries herself to sleep every night. I pretend I don't hear it, but it's hard to ignore it when she's balling every night." he said.

"Wow I...I'm sorry to hear that...I was honestly expecting those two to be together forever. They sacrificed so much to be together...they're destinies, they're business. I was expecting her to had kids by now."

"Same here...but I know she's telling the truth. Last time Daring invited us to his castle, Hunter got way out of hand with the drinking. I mean, I was drunk too, but not as much as he was. I'm sure Dex, Alistair and even Daring must have noticed." he replied.

"Now that you mention it, Dexter did say something about it. He said Hunter drank all of the bourbon Daring had, and had asked one of the maids to go buy more for him. It was so odd, but no one said anything." she replied.

"He's got serious issues, but that's not important right now. I have to make sure Ashlynn is safe...she said she wasn't going to let the past affect her. But it's clear she hasn't gotten over her heartbreak, and you and I both know what that shit feels like." Blake replied, glancing at his boots. Raven leaned against the wall beside him, arms crossed.

"I can't believe this...so she's been alone dealing with this for a year. All while he's been out there, probably drinking his brains out. Ashlynn shouldn't have to deal with that shit."

"I know, but there's nothing we can do about it. I'll talk to the guys and see if we can make him see reason, but Ash already told me she was done with him. She doesn't want to date someone like that ever again, even though she's had beautiful times with him." he replied.

"I don't blame her...so, does that mean that you'll take care of her? I mean, you've been alone for awhile. I think you'd be a good thing for Ashlynn right now." she said.

"I'm not interested in dating."

"Really? That's why you were looking at her subtle when you were holding Zelda? That's why you told her she could stay here with you? And you are helping her open up a new store? Are you sure it isn't because you want to make her happy?" she asked.

"Raven, just because you got married before me doesn't mean you are the all knowing. By the way, are you pregnant?"

"Eh? How the hell did you even arrive at that?" his sister asked, earning a grin from the boy.

"Well, you don't usually go to the doctor unless it's something serious. If you have an appointment, then it's because you want confirmation on your thoughts. If you are, then congratulations, he or she will be just as beautiful and amazing as Zelda." he said. She shook her head, giving the boy a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, I'm not sure if I am pregnant or not. Just don't tell anyone alright? If it gets back to Blondie she'll squeal to everyone we know, just like she did with Rosabella was pregnant." she said, jumping into Nevermore's back.

"Don't worry, I'll keep it secret!" he replied, giving her a wave. The dragon took off into the air, disappearing after a few seconds. He stepped back into the house, sounds of laughter filling his ears. He moved toward the kitchen where Zelda and Ashlynn were, decorating some cookies. He was very confused, but as long as Ashlynn was smiling he didn't care. She looked up at him, flushing slightly at his appearance.

"Oh Blake, I hope you don't mind. You had some pre-made cookie dough in the fridge, and I thought it would be alright to make some cookies. I'll replace it later."

"It's fine Ash. I would have likely forgotten about that dough at some point, or gotten hungry and eaten it in the middle of the night. How's my little sweetheart doing?" he asked, earning a giggle from the little girl, who held a man shaped cooking to him, decorated with various colors and a silly face.

"I made you, Uncle Blake...he has the same goofy face you made at Auntie Lynn earlier." she said.

"Huh? I wasn't making a goofy face!" he said, feigning ignorance causing the girl to puff her cheeks.

"Yes you were, momma said liars get their pants set on fire, so don't lie!"

"I'm not lying sweetheart, tell her Ashlynn. I'm not lying right?" he asked, earning a nod from Ashlynn.

"He's right Zelda, he wasn't lying at all...Blake never lies, he's a wonderful person, who cares about all of his friends. He's a hero, just like your mommy was during the Dragon Games."

"The Dragon Games? What are those?" Zelda asked, taking a bite from the cookie in her hands.

"She hasn't told you that story yet? Wow Raven, nice of you to do that to your daughter. Alright, we have to finish lunch because Auntie Lynn has to go back to work. But we'll tell you all about your momma and how she saved Ever After during the Dragon Games." he said, causing the girl to grin.

"Okay! Was Uncle Blake in the Dragon Games? And Auntie Lynn too?" she asked.

"We sure were, all of us were heroes that day...it's quite a long story, but it's full of magic and dragons! If you are a good girl, we'll tell you more stories, and even take you to Wonderland. How does that sound?" Ashlynn said, earning a vigorous nod from the girl.

"Yeah! I wanna go to Wonderland! Momma hasn't taken me yet, I wanna go see Auntie Maddie!"

"Okay, next Saturday we'll go to Wonderland. The two of us aren't doing anything that day anyway. We'll just talk to your momma first okay?" Blake said, earning a nod from the little girl. Ashlynn picked her up from the ground, holding her tightly in her arms.

"Alright, let's start at the beginning of the Dragon Games, when all of the baby dragons were hatching from their eggs."

Blake smiled warmly as Ashlynn started telling Zelda the story. She had her full attention, almost unblinking as she set the scene. He had to admit, Ashlynn was really good with children, she had an instinctive motherly aura. He started thinking back to what Raven had said to him earlier, and had started thinking about it.

" _Ashlynn is hurt, still recovering from what happened with Hunter. I'm not sure she's even looking for a relationship right now...but she is still as beautiful now as she was in high school. Maybe...I'll give it some thought."_

He continued leading Ashlynn toward the new store, wrapping an arm around her waist. She didn't seem to mind, her focus was entirely on the story she was telling the little girl in her arms. The towns people around them would most likely believe they were a happy family, but they weren't even close to figuring out the truth.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**

 **Welcome everyone to Chapter 2 of Pantoufle Noir, the pairing of Ashlynn and Blake. This chapter will continue this little story, I will say that this story will be proceeding a bit fast, as it will only have about five chapters, that is my goal. So some events may seem rushed, and some chapters will be lengthy and cover a lot of things. Such as this chapter which will be exploring some stuff from Hunter's past and his dive into alcoholism.**

 **I am also going to work on increasing Blake and Ashlynn's relationship...after all, Blake only saw Ashlynn as his best friend's girl, but he is slowly starting to see her as a woman instead of someone taken. Ashlynn still has problems getting over what happened to her, and she will show a lot of that mostly in chapter three. But the two will slowly start realizing that they are falling in love. Will they act on their feelings? Or will this romance be doomed to fail? Well all of those questions will be answered later.**

 **I'm also taking a lot of liberties with where some characters ended up in life. Honestly, I'm not sure if Briar would even agree to becoming an actress, but I'm sure she'd actually be okay with it. Acting is something she most likely would like to do and I have an inkling that she would be good at it. Raven has dreams of being a musician, but she's a mother now so I'm sure she isn't going to pursue anything like that, unless she seeks help from Blake and Melody, which she most likely will. Every ending will be different, so Raven might be something else in another ending, but she will always be Blake's sister no matter what, and I've taken a liking to little Zelda, so that might be her official daughter from now on.**

 **I hope you guys like this chapter, as I said before, if things move on too fast, it is because of the length of the overall story as opposed to everything else. I will try and hit some solid points in every chapter to move on the plot, but at the end of the goal, we all know what will happen, I think. I just hope I am doing it justice, after all you are the ones who will let me know about that, happy reading!**

Through the Looking-Glass

Alternate Universe 2

Ashlynn's Happily Ever After

 _ **(Alternate Ending to Through the Looking Glass)**_

Working at a shoe store as an employee was much different than working at a Bakery. Throughout high school, he had helped Ginger quite a lot, and had become the manager of Spells Kitchen at the end of his first year of school. Transitioning over to being the manager of the new Glass Slipper hadn't been hard, except for the fact that he now wasn't tempted to eat the stuff in the showcase. He made a mental note to call Ginger up and have her make an order of Snowflake cookies. Even after all of those years, they were still his favorites, though Ginger had moved up in life. She now had several bakeries around Ever After, all of them endorsed by Jack Horner, who even had a Spells Kitchen inside his five star restaurant, where Ginger worked most of the time. Helga and Gus had both become the owners of their own Bakeries, and had actually started eating healthy.

The store was much bigger than before, most of it being a showroom. All over, were several shelves filled to the brim with all sorts of shoes. Most of them were glass slippers, all of them being organized by size, style and color. Ashlynn could be a bit OCD when it came to organization, but it was a good tick to have, as it made the store look visually pleasing. There were some displays with some other types of footwear, glass hiking boots, glass dancing shoes, even some glass shoes for men, though he doubted man would actually walk into get some shoes from this particular store. Along with shoes, the inventory included designer purses, belts and various accessories. Her father had also supplied jewelry for her, a very kind gesture which almost made the girl cry. She had been really excited when the Grand Opening came, seeing her flip that sign and finally let the stream of women pour into the store had been the happiest day for him so far. He liked seeing Ashlynn smile more than he did seeing her cry.

Two months had already passed since that day, and he had already gotten a routine set up. The store opened at eight, and since he was the only cashier, jeweler and practically everything, he had to stay at the store for most of the day. Ashlynn was there as well, providing her knowledge and insight on every pair of shoes her customers had been interested in. they would start winding down at six and close at seven. Most of the time, Ashlynn would cook dinner, but if they didn't have the time, or were too tired they ate out, usually getting salads. Blake had been slowly turning vegetarian, though he did still eat a lot of meat when she wasn't looking. She had no problem with it, but she always pushed him to eat healthier.

His niece had taken a liking to her too, practically begging his sister to bring her over. They're trip to Wonderland had been the best time for everyone. It felt nice to be in his Wonderland outfit again, somehow the magic of Wonderland would always tailor it to fit him. Lizzie had been excited to see the two of them again, and finally see her surrogate niece as well. They had spent almost two hours building the largest card castle Blake had ever seen in the history of ever. Of course one single bellow from her mother, the Queen of Hearts, had been enough to bring it down. That caused a bit of a shouting match between Lizzie and the Queen, which actually ended in a tie. The woman had even cried tears of joy at seeing her daughter almost out screaming her. This of course left Ashlynn and Blake holding their heads, having lost partial hearing for at least half an hour.

At the moment, there was only half an hour left before closing time. Not a lot of customers were in the store at the moment, giving him a much needed break. He was currently taking count of the register, getting the money ready to be sent to the bank. He was also helping take inventory of the jewelry, as a lot of that stuff had been going like hotcakes. Knowing that King Henri was Ashlynn's provider made the store even more popular for young women, and interestingly enough, young men looking for the perfect gift for that special someone. Ashlynn was always happy to help them out.

He did notice her demeanor change quite a lot whenever couples came in together. That beautiful smile on her face was forced, and he could see the hurt in her green eyes. It made him want to embrace her and make her forget everything she had been through. He didn't know if Ashlynn would ever fully heal from losing her first love, to the throws of alcohol. But he would make sure she was well taken care of, he had at least gotten her to stop crying at night, giving him a lot of peace of mind. It always broke his heart hearing her crying herself to sleep, and him being unable to do anything about it. But the next morning he would always coax her into talking, getting a lot more details about what happened between her and Hunter.

One of the defining things that had definitely caused them to break up, aside from the sex, was his partying. Apparently, after a successful stint, protecting the animals and raising attention for animal awareness, he would go out and celebrate with some of his other friends. His organization happened to be part of the same one that Rosabella used to protect the beasts of Ever After. They had joined forces a year after they left high school, deciding to work together. That had made them stronger and they could spread more of their help across Ever After and the other realms as well. Especially places like Nottingham and Neverland. He would often times come home at three in the morning, drunk as a pig, causing her to either wake up or get really mad. She had to stay up waiting for him, after working all day as a waitress. She would prepare dinner for the two of them and often eat it alone.

That usually lead to arguments which brought the neighbors into it, and often times the police were called. They had moved around for a bit, before Hunter decided to buy a cabin near the base of High Peak, away from everyone else so they're arguments wouldn't bother anyone. It had been peaceful at first, but that had rapidly gone down the shitter. That was when his drinking started getting heavier, he started staying out longer and even several days away from home. He always claimed he was visiting his mother's grave, but when she asked his father if that was true, the Hunter always said he had never showed up. The man had buried his loving wife in his backyard so she would always be there watching him, and for his son to come and visit, but he only did a few times.

Ashlynn had tried acting like her sweet self, asking him politely to quit drinking. But he always said he didn't have a problem, and that he would quit. She would sleep in the guest room that night, she didn't feel like smelling the scent of alcohol the entire night. When she woke up the next day, he was usually gone, leaving a note for her to read. She would pick up around the house, head to work, come back, make dinner and wait for him to show up. When he didn't, she would eat her cold food, and read a book before bed. She had stopped making dinner for him awhile after that, since she was tired of wasting food.

He had stopped her after that...hearing all of this was really making him want to go after his friend. He loved Hunter dearly, just as much as he loved his brother-in-law Dexter, and Daring and Alistair, and all of his other friends. But what he was doing was despicable. He had been putting his girlfriend through so much stress that she had started to eat less. She had even stopped using make up, and getting her hair cut because she just didn't want to be seen in public. People would always point and say her name.

Princess Ashlynn, dating that drunken boy, she should leave him, she can find a better man. The routine of waking up, going to work, coming home and going to bed had been the only semblance of tranquility she got for an entire six months, before she had the nerve to call it quits. She packed her things, and even after he had kicked her out, and started begging for her to come back, she never did. She had sent everything she owned home, and had packed a suitcase and a bag, choosing to visit her friend Crystal first. After that, she traveled throughout Ever After, staying with her closest friends, before finally returning to Cendrillion, where she was currently living with Blake.

He let out a sigh, finally getting the total for the night, and for the entire week. They usually didn't open on Sundays, so it was good to finally have the weeks profits in his hands. They had actually made quite a lot of money, and after factoring in all of the expenses, the the utilities and everything else, they still had a good four thousand gold profit for the week. Once he had set his clipboard aside, he had separated all of the money into their appropriate places, making sure to keep the profits separate from the expenses and the utilities, before bagging it all and placing it in a small case to take to the bank. Once that was done, he got up from behind the register, officially clocking out for the night as he headed to the back room. He paused for a second, hearing some sniffling behind the door. He sighed bowing his head a bit. The door opened and Ashlynn walked out, almost bumping into the man.

"Oh Blake, how long have you been standing there?"

"A few seconds, I came to give you the inventory list." he said, handing her the clipboard. Her eyes scanned the sheets in front of her, taking note of everything that needed to be restocked.

"Thank you Blake, sorry for making you do that on your own today. I had to take a few business calls."

"It's fine, you are the owner so it's obvious you have to take calls. Are you okay though?" he asked curiously, earning a vigorous nod from her.

"I'm totally fine, why do you ask?"

"Mascara can't hide puffy eyes Ashlynn. Tell me what's wrong, let me help you thought whatever it is."

She didn't say anything at first, probably not expecting to have heard his request. She caved after a few seconds, reaching into her purse for her MirrorPhone. After typing in her password in, she handed the phone to Blake, who saw all of the messages she had gotten. Tapping the icon, he saw Hunter's name at the top, the number 45 next to his name. It was clear that this was the reason she was crying.

"I told him to leave me alone, but he won't stop messaging me." she said softly.

"Do you know what he wants at least?"

"He said he misses me, and that he wants me back...but he was drunk on the voice mail. How the fuck does he expect me to believe him when he's drinking? He just pisses me off, I don't want to even see him, or talk to him at all!"

"Honey calm down, I understand where you are coming from. I don't like it when you get overworked okay?" he said, earning a sigh from her. She smiled a bit, giving the boy a hug. He was used to these now, so he just hugged her back, making sure not to drop her phone.

"I'm happy that you are here with me Blake, I don't think I can do this alone." she whispered, making the boy shiver a bit.

"I'm glad, come on...we gotta close up shop and take the money to the bank." he said. She released him from her embrace, taking a hold of her phone back.

Once they had done one last scan of the entire store, making sure the security system was engaged, they left the shoe store. Thankfully, the first bank of Cendrillion was on the same block, so it didn't take long for them to walk in, drop off all the money into the respective accounts. Blake had already told Ashlynn that he didn't want to be paid for working at the store. She had insisted on giving him a paycheck for his work, but he had been firm on it. He didn't want to get paid for helping her through her hard times. Somehow however, through a little bit of coaxing and a lot of begging, he had caved. He had agreed to take a bi-weekly paycheck, so he didn't feel bad for taking money from her. It would always go to his savings accounts anyway.

"So, what do you wanna eat tonight? Shall we feast on the unborn? I heard the Waffle House has a special today." he said, causing his companion to laugh.

"I'm not feeling eggs today. How about a nice salad, it would do you good to stop eating all of those fatty foods." she said, patting his stomach.

"Hey, I'm not fat. I still go on my morning run, and I still practice MMA. At least the fat that I eat doesn't go to my chest." he replied, causing the girl to flush and cross her arms, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"Okay fine, we can get something that isn't salad."

"Lasagna?" he asked, a pleading look on his face. She sighed, giving a nod. He grinned, grabbing a hold of her hand.

"Come on then, I know this restaurant that makes a kick ass lasagna. It's down on this street." he said, pulling her along.

"Ah, alright no need to pull." she replied with a giggle, happily following along.

The people around them seemed to break away, allowing the two of them to pass. They were all watching them intently, seeing two happy young adults running through the city with carefree expressions. Some of the elderly who recognized Ashlynn were happy to see they're princess smiling. They had reached one of the open streets leading toward the center of town. A few teenagers had come up to Blake, asking him for an autograph, which he happily obliged. Not a lot of people actually bothered to walk up to him, thinking he would turn them away, when he in fact enjoyed that the most. Being part of a famous band was really fun, and he loved his fans dearly.

"I'm surprised people here aren't crowding you all the time." Ashlynn said, once the two teens walked off, grinning wider than Kitty when she got a new yarn ball.

"Well, I've been here a long time. We went on tour right after high school, and sold all of our shows out within days of each other. We sung everything, from our EP, Shatter Me, Heart's on Fire, Flaming Dragon Aria. Everyone was always happy and pepped up whenever we came to town, we played here two times a year, so I've signed autographs for most of the teenagers and kids here, some of the adults too. But lately we've been taking the band into consideration...we're probably breaking up soon."

"What? Purple Rhapsody is gonna break up? No, you can't do that!" Ashlynn said, a sad tone in her voice.

"I know...I don't want it to end either...but let's get real. Dexter runs an IT company now, plus he's busy with his family. We can't just quit to play bass for us anymore. Melody has her teaching job back in Ever After High, Cerise is getting married soon and Cupid is a teacher in Mount Olympus now. All of us have lives, and we can't just toss it all away to keep doing concerts. I was the one who suggested doing a farewell concert during the Winter." he said, a frown on his face.

"Oh, sweetheart I'm so sorry. I know how much this band means to you, especially after everything that happened back in high school. Which reminds me, how's Joey doing?"

"He married Faybelle and had twins...he's not a cock meat anymore, he actually reformed after all the stuff that happened during the Dragon Games. We hang out sometimes, though Gloria has to be there so we don't end up fighting each other." he said, smiling fondly at the memories of his former friend, turned antagonist, turned friend again.

"Joey and Faybelle...didn't think that would happen. I didn't even know Cerise was engaged either, who with? I'm curious to see who snagged her heart." Ashlynn said, causing the boy to frown.

"Daring, Darling and Dexter have a cousin named Derek. They were dating for awhile apparently, she announced her engagement at the beginning of the summer. Has a pretty huge rock on her finger too."

"You don't sound happy about that, are you okay?" she asked curiously, earning a sigh from the boy.

"I had this idea, that maybe after all of these years...me and Cerise could get back together. We dated on and off for a couple years...we were getting serious, I even proposed to her. But she didn't say yes or no...she said she would think about it. Eventually, she said she was too young to get married, that was six months before we met up for our Summer tour." he said, sounding a bit angry. She took a hold of his hand, causing him to look into her eyes.

"You started to fall for her again...but she got engaged before you could act. Is that why you were drinking?"

"Yeah...most of the reason. Christ, I'm 23 years old...I'm sure my mom would be begging for grandchildren now. I don't care about that right now, I just want someone to be there for me. I dated some other girls in school, as I'm sure you know, but that all ended after awhile. I think I'm broken." he said.

"Don't say that, you aren't broken...you aren't. You just...gotta search a little harder for that perfect woman."

"That's what Cupid said, but I'm just a big loser...even she turned me down. I asked her on a date once, and she said that she wasn't what I was looking for. That she was far too busy teaching the next generation of cherubs what they needed to know, as well as handling the occasional love request. I'm the man who can't even get a date with an angel, kinda pathetic isn't it?" he asked, a small smile on his lips.

"You know Cupid only likes one person, and he's already taken. I think she just needed a little time to reflect on everything after high school to now. She just busying herself with work so she can forget about that stuff. It's normal for someone to do that. Let's just focus on dinner, I'm so hungry, I can eat a dragon." she replied, making him chuckle. He picked up the pace a bit, with Ashlynn following along. They bumped hands a few times, ignoring it a few times.

Blake didn't think much of it as he looked around, searching for the restaurant. That was at least until he felt someone take his hand, he glanced down seeing Ashlynn had slipped her fingers through his own. She gave him a small smile, turning her attention elsewhere. He didn't exactly know how to react, but he felt himself smile a bit, his heart skipping a few beats. He could almost hear his sister's nagging voice in the back of his head.

"Oh, over here. I know you don't like meat, but they make vegetarian lasagna too, I'll pay for it so you have nothing to worry about." he said, giving her a wink.

"You know, we could split the bill like we always do."

"Nah, I'm paying for dinner today. No ifs, and's or buts about it." he replied.

The couple walked toward the restaurant, with Blake politely holding the door for the princess. As soon as they walked in, the Mater'd found them a table, having recognized the two of them. The man had been able to get them a table for two near the middle of the store, the ambiance was light hearted and warm. The restaurant, while being more for couples, was also a family oriented place, as Blake did see a few children with their families. There was even a small arcade on the other side of the restaurant, where all of the kids were hanging out. Blake took his suit off, placing it on the back of his chair, fixing his tie a bit as he pulled Ashlynn's chair out for her.

"This place is nice, I've never been to a fancy restaurant like this, aside from the times we hung out with mom." Ashlynn said, earning a smile from the boy.

"Well, I happen to know one of the managers here, and let me tell you, they do a great job with the food. I bring all of my friends here when they come to visit. They always get really nervous too whenever we come here, it's fun seeing their reactions." he replied, grabbing the menu on the table. One of the waitresses walked over to them, giving the two a smile.

"You always seem to come here with a different gal, you make me jealous Blake. You truly do." the woman said, causing the boy to chuckle.

"Maybe one day you'll be sitting across from me Marie. Ashlynn, this is Marie, one of the waitresses here...she started working here shortly after I moved to Cendrillion. Your mom actually pointed her to this restaurant, she's the daughter of the chef that works at the palace." he said.

"Wow, really? What a small world, it's so good to meet you!"

"Same here Princess, I've heard quite a lot about you from Blake and from your mother."

"Yup, been working for the past three years. So, what can I get the two of you? We have a special on lasagna, if you order one slice you get free garlic bread with it. You also get drinks half off." Marie said, causing the couple to chuckle, making her confused.

"What are the odds? That's actually what we came here for...I'll take that offer, make mine with meat sauce please. Ashlynn wants the veggie one, she's actually a hardcore veggie enthusiast."

"I am not! I'm just a vegetarian, there's nothing wrong with eating healthy, at least I'm not a vegan. I could never swear off ice cream." Ashlynn replied.

"You and me both sister, before I forget. This special also comes with chocolate cake for desert, managers special. Speaking of, do you want me to go get her for you? I'm sure she'd love to see you."

"Why the hell not? I've been dying to see her too." Blake said, giving the woman a wink. She jotted down the last of their order, taking the menus as she went.

"She's really nice, I wanna get to know her now that I know she's the daughter of my family chef."

"She's an awesome person. Even though she's a waitress, she's currently taking classes in culinary school. She took this job to pay for her courses, and even though she hates when I do it, I often times give her a 40% tip." he said. Ashlynn couldn't help but smile, her eyes glittering a bit in the low lighting.

"Even after all this time, you are still generous. That's actually really sweet of you." she said, giving him a smile. The boy flushed a bit, looking away from the girl.

" _She has a pretty smile...I guess I never noticed it in high school because she was taken. What am I saying, Ashlynn doesn't want a relationship right now. Keep it in your pants Blake, for real."_

"Well, look what we have here. I'm not used to seeing people from the old days, yet here I am, looking at a Princess and a dofus." a gruff voice said, causing the two to look up.

"I'm not a dofus Momo, jeez. Even after all of these years you still never respect me." Blake said, a look of annoyance on his face. Ramona gave him a grin, her white teeth glittering brightly.

She was wearing a long sleeved black button down shirt, with a golden nametag on her left breast. Her name was written on it, along with the title of Manager. She was wearing a pair of black slacks, stuffed into a pair of high heeled, fluffy furred boots. Around her waist, she was wearing a white half apron, tied behind her back into a bow. Her long hair was tied up into a high ponytail, with a black hair ribbon, she still wore her head piece, which was in the likeness of a wolf. Her wolf ears wiggled a bit, probably due to all of the talking in the dining room.

"Ramona? Oh my goodness, look at you. Did you get taller, or are those your heels?" Ashlynn asked, standing up to hug the girl.

"No, I'm pretty sure I got taller. Though you did too, and you are as beautiful as ever. How did you manage to snag this one Blake? Did you pay her to be here?"

"No, me and Ashlynn opened a store together, the Glass Slipper. I'm sure you've heard the rumors by now." he said, earning a nod from the woman.

"I have, my sister told me what happened. Raven and Dexter were visiting her a couple days ago, since Derek invited them all over and that's when she found out. I'm sorry to hear everything ended that way for you Ashlynn."

"It's alright, I'm coping and I'm getting better. Blake has been kind enough to let me stay at his place, and I'm just glad to be home overall. I love it here just as much as I love Ever After High. I just want us to be thirty already for our damn reunion, I wanna see everyone's kids." she said, earning a chuckle from her.

"Yes, I wanna see the kids too. Especially Daring Jr, and Bella...those two are cute as hell. Then again, Zelda is adorable too...I have a hard time deciding who's my favorite." Ramona said, making Blake chuckle.

"Zelda of course. She's really smart for her age, and I'm honestly impressed that a three year old can form full sentences and speak clearly. Must be the Evil Queen's blood running through her."

"That might be true, so Blake when are you getting laid? I want to be an aunt too. I would have thought you and Holly would married by now." she said, earning a sigh from the boy.

"Why does everyone assume that me and Holly are gonna get married? I did the music for her live action novel thing. That's it, we haven't dated since high school." he said.

"I'm just twisting your nips man, just a joke...anyway, I've been away for too long. Gotta get back to the kitchen, before those shitheads burn the place down. Just this once, I'm gonna make whatever you get on the house. Just tell Marie to bring me the check when you are about to leave alright?"

"Thanks Momo, we owe you one!" Blake said, giving her a wave as she walked back toward the other side of the restaurant.

 _ **xxx**_

"It was nice of Ramona to give us that meal for free. Manager of a five star restaurant, I didn't think she'd actually end up doing that you know." Ashlynn said. Blake nodded, his eyes on the skies above.

"Mhmm, she moved to Cendrillion a couple years back, saying she wanted to live away from her family for awhile. She loves them dearly, but the Big Bad Wolf wouldn't let her do a lot of things, even though she was an adult. She just got sick of it." he replied. The two were holding hands as they walked back home.

Blake had gotten a little more comfortable with it. He figured Ashlynn was doing it because she didn't want to be too far from the boy. He knew that girls often times did that, especially after being in a relationship for so long. It was just a habit for them to grab their lover's hand, but since she had broken up with Hunter, he guessed all of those ticks were still ingrained in her mind. He didn't really mind, in fact he actually welcomed him. As long as it didn't make him look like a loser, he would be fine.

"Sometimes parents can be overbearing...I would know. Being a princess is never easy, I'm just happy my parents aren't forcing me to have royal duties. I feel bad for Apple sometimes, since she has to juggle being a princess and everything else in her life. If Snow White steps down, she becomes queen by default."

"Yeah, I haven't seen her in awhile...I need to go visit her sometime. Snow White doesn't like me though, I'm convinced she hates me." he said.

"Snow White doesn't hate you! She's just...rough around the edges. A lot of stuff happened to all of us in the past after all." she said, giving him a wink. He rolled his eyes, reaching his pocket for his house keys. He opened the door and stepped into the house.

"That is true...ah it feels so good to be back home. And it's only eight thirty, that means we can watch a movie or some shit!"

"That sounds great! But I get to pick, so you go ahead and go upstairs and shower first. I'll pick the movie and get some snacks ready." Ashlynn said, pushing him toward the stairs.

"Are you sure Ash? I don't mind letting you shower first."

"I'll do that later, I like taking baths late at night. It helps me relax." she replied. He shrugged, heading toward the stairs.

He headed up stairs, taking off his suit, pulling off his tie. Once he made it to his room, he grabbed his hanger and started taking his suit off, placing it on the hanger for when he needed it next. He didn't always go to work in a suit, but it always made him feel fancy. Once he had grabbed something casual, he stepped into the bathroom and took a quick shower. Once he was done with that, he got dressed in a simple shirt, and some Pokemon themed pajama bottoms along with some socks, and headed back down stairs.

Ashlynn had changed out of her dress as well, having put on a silk pink sleeveless night down. She had taken her hair out of its ponytail and had brushed it down, the hot pink steaks blending into the rest of her hair. It was actually quite longer than he remembered, but it also fit what she had said to him before, that she didn't like cutting her hair as much anymore. The flat screen television was on, and a stack of movies had been placed on the table. Ashlynn herself was still looking through the shelf of movies, glancing back at the boy with a smile.

"We've been doing really well at work, I've decided to take the next three days off. I think the both of us earned a little vacation." she said, giving the boy a wink.

"Ashlynn are you sure about that? I'm not opposed to it, but that's three days of business we'll lose. Since we don't open on Sundays after all."

"It's fine...I also posted some listings online...we need a couple more employees. I extended a job offer to a few of our friends from school in case they were free or needed a bit of money. It's a tough job, but it's easy once you get the hang of it." she replied, setting the last of the snacks down on the table.

"Yes, I can't be the cashier, the jeweler and the guy who hands out advice on which shoe goes better with which belt. That can get a little tough from time to time you know."

"I know, but you do an excellent job. You've sold quite a lot of shoes during the last week, and that is why I want to take this vacation. I can't exactly promote you, you are already a manager and an owner." she replied. She grabbed a hold of the movie Titanic, slipping it into the gaming system attached to the television.

"Wow, you actually wanna watch Titanic? I haven't seen this movie in years." he admitted, surprised with her selection.

"Me either...I still remember that party you threw when you finally reached one thousand viewings. We all thought it was insane, while Jessica just high fived you. She was even crying too."

"Yeah she's weird...wonder how she's doing? She hasn't texted me in awhile, probably plunging another world into nuclear winter...again." Blake said, chuckling a bit. He heard the doorbell ring, startling the couple, both sharing the same look. He was about to stand up when Ashlynn beat him to the punch, heading toward the door.

"I'll get it, it might be my mom or even Raven." she said. She undid the chain, the bolt lock and the knob lock on the door, pulling it open, expecting someone else. She backed away from the door slightly gasping audibly.

"Hunter...what are you doing here?" she asked. Blake sprung to his feet, quickly moving to the door.

The son of the Huntsman had changed a lot during the years, becoming quite tall for his age. He no longer shaved half of his head, choosing to have his hair in a ponytail instead. He had a bit of a stubble on his face, and was wearing a long sleeved green shirt, with a brown leather vest over it. He was wearing a pair of black jeans and a pair of boots. His eyes were wide with surprise, not having expected his ex-girlfriend to be at his best friend's house.

"I could ask you the same question, I...thought you were at home." he said softly.

"She didn't want to live back home...I suggested she could stay here. We opened up a store not that long ago...do you wanna come in?" Blake asked.

"Um...I dunno...this is so awkward. I wanted to talk to Blake but...I'll just come back later."

"No Hunter wait...you came here for a reason right? I'll just go upstairs so you two can talk, I'll even put my music on so I won't hear anything." Ashlynn said, grabbing a hold of her phone, quickly running up the stairs, the sound of the door slamming shut filled the house a second later.

Blake and Hunter remained silent for a few minutes, not exactly knowing how to begin the conversation. The sound of the start screen for the movie started booming through the speakers, causing Blake to reach for the remote, turning the sound down a bit. He heard Hunter move slightly, sitting down on the couch.

"I fucked up man...like royally."

"Yes, you did. I have a lot of shit to say to you, but let's start with your version of the story, and don't leave out any details, or I will break your face." Blake replied, sitting down next to his friend.

"I'm not gonna hide anything, I already lost the thing I held dear in my heart. We were really happy, but I dunno...after awhile I just started wondering if Ashlynn was the one. I loved her, but you know I had my doubts. My mother passing away didn't help at all...I was so depressed. She was the only one who cared about me, since my father only conditioned me for my part in Snow White. I never got along with him, so I just spiraled out of control. First it was one drink, then two...eventually, it was an entire bottle."

"Ashlynn told me about that...you stayed out late, came home drunk...you even insulted her. Not just that, you actually slapped her...what the hell man? I know what it's like to lose a parent, I lost mine twice...but that's no reason to binge drink and slap the one I love." Blake said.

"I know, goddamn it! It hurts like shit, but I blacked out, I never knew what I was doing until I had done it. Ashlynn started getting mad at me, and I was confused and that drove me to drink more. Eventually I didn't give a shit anymore. I wanted to show her how much I loved her, but I didn't want to get married this early in life you know? It was so stupid."

"I don't think so...I think it's beautiful that she's saved herself this long. She wanted to wait until your wedding night, to give herself to you. She had already given you her soul, her love...all that was left was for her to give you her body and you would have been in love forever. But you let booze come between you, in the most horrible fucking way possible." he said, crossing his arms.

"Yes, I know...I've had some time to reflect on everything. I came here to ask you for advice, on how I could apologize to her. I'm not looking to get back together with her, she's told me she doesn't want to come back to me." Hunter said, glancing at the floor.

"Why would she want your apology though? You broke her heart, into a million pieces, for two years. She watched you fall lower and lower until you were unrecognizable. I love you man, I do...but I don't think I can ever forgive you for what you put Ash through. But I guess that isn't my call either...at least tell me you quit, because if you didn't then I'm not letting you talk to her." he replied.

"I did...I got the help she was begging me to get. I came out of rehab last week, I actually met another girl while we were there, the daughter of Jasmine from the story of Aladdin. She came to this realm from Agrabah and wanted to help people and teach them about her home. She was a major help when I joined that AA group." he replied, taking the boy a back. He stood up from his seat, heading toward the stairs.

"I'm not gonna guarantee anything, if she doesn't want to speak then she isn't going too. But you two need closure, so if she does...just be careful with what you say to her." Blake replied, heading upstairs.

Once he got to Ashlynn's room, he gave a few knocks on the door, opening the door right after. She was sitting on her bed, with her earbuds in her ears, music blaring through them. He smiled a bit when he heard the familiar bass line of Shatter Me coming through the speakers. He definitely needed to talk to Lizzie and Duchess to do that song during their farewell concert. He tapped her shoulder, making her look up from her phone, taking her bud out of her ear.

"He wants to talk to you, to apologize. He seems genuine." he said softly. She sighed, giving him a nod.

"I read all of those messages...it's true...he really does want to apologize. I'll go talk to him, stay close...please." she said, squeezing his hand tightly. He nodded, following her back down the stairs. He leaned back against the wall near the stairwell, watching the auburn haired girl sit down next to her ex-boyfriend.

He couldn't really hear much from where he stood, and he honestly didn't want too. It was a rather private thing between the two of them. He just kept his eyes closed waiting for the two to say they're peace to each other before they said goodbye. Hearing Ashlynn giggling was a good sign, especially after everything that she had been through. Hunter was showing her pictures of his time in rehab, with a very beautiful brown skinned girl with dark brown hair. He said something to her that actually got her laughing, making Blake smile brightly. He walked over to the two, placing a hand on their shoulders.

"So, are we all cool or do you still want me to hit him Ash?"

"No, we're alright...it hurt talking about everything, but now that we have, I feel so much better. So much lighter than before too." she said.

"Me too, over the time I was in rehab all I could think about was Ashlynn and how she was doing. I knew she wasn't ever going to take me back, but I at least wanted to apologize to her, for all of the suffering I put her through for the last two years." Hunter admitted, a small smile on his face.

"Well I'm glad, if you two are cool and want to start from zero then I'm willing to forgive you too. Since you are in town, how about I call Dexter and Daring and see if we can get together? That would be cool, just like old times."

"I would, but I gotta go see my old man. I've been so full of hate toward him since mom passed on...I gotta go see her too. Maybe next time, and I'll bring Morgiana along, we can all get together." he said, standing up from his seat.

"Sure, I'd love to meet her...I'm sure she'd like to meet Ashlynn too...I'll try to bring Zelda along so you can see how big she's gotten." Blake said. The two men shared a hug at the door, one that was long overdue since it had been quite a long time since they had spoken.

"See ya man, before I go though...do me a favor? Take care of Ashlynn...she deserves a kind hearted person like you. Someone who can take better care of her than I ever could."

"I will...don't you worry about that Hunter." he said softly.

"Goodbye Ashlynn, I wish you luck on your new store. Maybe one day you'll hire me as your stocker, I could use the money."

"We could use the help actually, if you really want the spot, I can save it for you. It's just me and Blake at the moment, and we could use all the help we can get. I'll start you off at 13 gold an hour too." the woman said, making him go wide eyed.

"Wow, that's not bad...I'll definitely get back to you on that. See you two later, I'm glad you guys are doing alright." he said, finally taking his leave. He closed the door, turning to Ashlynn who was standing in the middle of the room, a hand on her chest.

"You okay honey?" he asked. She gave him a nod, a small smile on her face.

"I think I'll be fine now...I can finally let go of the past, with no strings attached." she said, a happy tone in her voice. He grinned, pulling the girl into a tight hug.

"I'm happy for you. Let's watched that movie now, I'm getting kind of excited to see it again. You better not fall asleep on me either, we have four days free, and we're gonna watch some anime too." he said, pressing play on the movie.

"Sure, I was eyeing one over there called Shiki. I don't remember ever seeing that series while we were in high school. Did you and Apple ever watch it, for the webshow?"

"No, we never got to it. We were following everything in alphabetical order, we didn't make it past M by the time we had to graduate." he said. The girl reached for the blanket she had brought along, pulling it over them as the movie started. Once she had shut the lamp off, she rested her head on Blake's shoulder, making the boy blush a bit.

"We'll most likely have a lot of time together, since we're business partners. We can watch some anime whenever we're not busy."

"Of course, I'm forcing my niece to watch some of the shoes I grew up with, so far she likes Pokemon. But she said Dragon Ball Z is too screamy for her, hehe. I'm inclined to agree." he said, shifting himself a bit, wrapping his arm around Ashlynn's waist. She let out a happy sigh, her eyes trained on the screen in front of her.

"Do you think Hunter will be fine? He looked a lot better than before, back to the Hunter from before." she said.

"He will, this Morgiana girl seems good for him. He looked good, and didn't smell at all like booze. So if he really meant everything he said, then he'll keep himself in line. It'll be hard, but he'll make it." he replied.

"I'm glad you think so...I know he'll be fine. Now let's watch this movie, I've already missed like ten minutes because you wouldn't stop talking."

"Excuse me? You were the one who kept asking me questions!" the boy called back, earning a pout from her.

"Blake, it was definitely you asking questions."

"Sure it was Ashlynn, sure it was. Fuck it, we're starting from the beginning, and this time you need to shush!" he said, grabbing his controller. She let out a giggle, grabbing the bowl of popcorn from the table.

Blake was glad she was genuinely happy now. Her smile was something he had strived to see for the past two months, and now that he had, he wanted to make sure she would keep smiling. He felt a little odd now that she had sat up. He missed her warmth, the scent of vanilla coming from her skin, the soft voice in his ear. He felt a choking feeling in his throat, his heart beating slightly faster than before. He spared a glance at Ashlynn, her vibrant green eyes focused on the screen in front of her, munching on the popcorn, so entranced that she didn't even see his gaze. He quickly looked away from her, cheeks flushing crimson.

" _Oh man, no no no...I can't...be falling in love with her!"_ he exclaimed in his head, sparing another glance at her. She looked over to him, giving him a smile as she held out the bowl of popcorn to him, which he grabbed a handful off, shoving it in his mouth. She blinked a couple times, giggling right after, her attention back to the television.

" _Dammit, she's so cute! No! I am not falling in love with her! I'm not! Why did she have to pick this movie out of all the ones she could have picked?"_ he cried in his mind.

With his inner turmoil beginning, Blake now had to figure out what to do. He was smitten with Ashlynn Ella, it was clearly obvious...but he didn't want to act on his feelings. Not after she had finally gotten over her last and only relationship. He was scared that he could mess up everything the two of them had, and that was the last thing he needed. He finally had someone in his life that made him smile and be happy, and he didn't want to lose her. He sighed quietly, making a mental note to speak with Cupid as soon as he could. Perhaps his angel best friend could help him out with his love conundrum.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

 **Good morning everyone, it's early I know...but I finished this chapter twenty minutes ago and just finished editing it. There might be a few mistakes, but I felt the need to post it now. It has been a while since I have added a new chapter to Pantoufle Noir, so I wanted to add the third chapter to this story. I'm still working on fixing Lizzie's chapter as well as working on Chapter 83 of Through the Looking Glass' main story. I'm having a bit of a hard time getting it to flow the way that I want, but I'll eventually figure things out. I'm not going to give up yet. I'm not sure when Chapter 4 of this will be out, but I will say that the next chapter will contain a lemon, as it will be the second to last chapter in this story.**

 **I hope you guys have been enjoying these, I know I don't update them as often as I would like, due to my focus on the main story...but I promise to work more on Black Aria, and Black Apple, as well as the new story that I will try to finish today, Black Hearts which will be the pairing of Lizzie x Blake. I'm not exactly sure when I'll post that, but I will try to finish that...I might post Chapter 76 of Through the Looking Glass tonight, as I've already started leading into the next story arc, and I'm sure you are all looking forward to it...so let me know what you think of this new chapter. Hope you all like it! Have a good morning, or night if you are across the world!**

Through the Looking-Glass

Alternate Universe 2

Ashlynn's Happily Ever After

 _ **(Alternate Ending to Through the Looking Glass)**_

While Ashlynn was at home, helping take care of his niece Zelda, Blake found himself in Cendrillion, at a cafe. He was currently waiting for his friend Cupid, who he had called to meet up early Sunday morning. It was currently Monday, and since Ashlynn had decided to take a few days off, he had nothing to do. He was actually quite happy to be up during the day and be able to enjoy the morning sun. Unlike previous days where he would wake up in the late afternoon, ate whatever leftovers were in the fridge and sat down in front of his television, playing video games and drinking into the late hours of the night, only for it to repeat the next day. He felt like he was finally doing something with his life. Now that Purple Rhapsody was going to break up, he wouldn't have that to look forward too anymore.

He had been practicing his magic a lot too. Being the son of the Evil Queen, he still had quite a lot of magic within him. After what happened during the Dragon Games at the beginning of his Junior year, he had been steadily practicing. Whenever he wasn't drunk off his mind, he would be out in the nearby woods, honing his skills in case he needed them. Raven had been practicing a lot too, whenever she wasn't busy with her own musical career. He still remembered the day she had launched her first album, he had been immensely proud of her. And before she had gotten pregnant with Zelda, they had done a tour around the realms. But now that she had to take care of a three year old girl, she didn't have much time for her music. So every single album she produced was made with care, and it was always high in the charts. The two of them hadn't seen the Evil Queen in quite a long time. She was still locked up in Mirror Prison, her mirror kept safely back in Ever After High, under the constant watch of Milton and Giles Grimm.

He heard the bell jingle and looked up, seeing his friend Cupid entering the cafe. She had changed quite a lot since they had graduated from high school. She had grown a lot taller, and into a fine young woman, who caught the eyes of many a mortal man. Her wings had also grown in size, since she was an angel now, she had more angelic looking wings, being covered in beautiful white feathers, decorated with small pink, red and orange flowers. Her long pink hair was in a high ponytail, with two long strands framing her face, and was kept straight, instead of the curly style she had during her high school years.

Her fashion style hadn't changed much since they had left high school, but was still more mature and chic than what she used to wear. Her dress was a soft pink color, with two thin shoulder straps. The collar was lined with white roses, area around the bust was a dark red in color. The dress highlighted her curves, two bows were attached at her hips, the skirt of the dress fell down past her knees, the hemline being a dark red color. She was wearing white leggings with hearts printed on them, and had brown heels on her feet. She was also carrying her bow in her hands, her quiver of arrows slung across her shoulders. She pulled her sunglasses off, glancing around the cafe, quickly spotting him near the back. She gave him a wave, moving toward his table.

"Hi Blake, sorry I'm late...it was raining on Mount Olympus so I had to wait a little bit. You know I can't fly with wet wings."

"You could have taken the portal...but you love flying, so I understand. Thanks for coming all the way here, it means a lot that you did." he replied, earning a small laugh from the pinkette. She placed her quiver and bow on the table before her.

"I'm your best friend, practically your sister. For you, I'd do anything, and it was a conference day at the academy. Someone got into Zeus's bolt storage room, and we have reason to believe Hercules's son was the one that got into it."

"Really? I'm surprised, I thought he was a good boy. Then again, his father is pretty mischievous too...anyway, would you like something? I'll pay for it, since I called you out here." he said, flagging the waitress over.

"That's sweet of you, thanks."

Once the waitress had taken her order, and had grabbed Blake's refill, she headed off to prepare everything. Cupid and Blake spent a few minutes catching up, speaking mostly about her job as a teacher on Mount Olympus, and how she had to handle the children of the gods, and train some up and coming cherubs. Of course the conversation shifted in his direction after a few moments, and they talked about the band, and about the Glass Slipper, which most of their friends already knew about. He left out a lot of other details, Hunter's visit being one of them. He didn't really feel like bringing that up, he was happy his friend was on the right track, but he wasn't over everything he had done yet. He pushed that to the back of his mind, wanting to finally start speaking about what was ailing him. He was sure Cupid was eager to start too.

"Anyway, it's been nice catching up but...I want to speak about the real reason I called you here. I know I said in the past that I would never, ever need your advice...because I wanted to follow my heart but...it seems my heart became a scum bag. So, I need your help."

"Are you serious? Blake Queen, son of the Evil Queen, wants help from the Angel of Love herself? The sky must be falling!"

"Shush! Keep it down, god! I don't want the whole of Cendrillion to frickin know this...sheesh. You still got that weird quirk of screaming things, I thought you'd grow out of it." he snapped, causing the girl to flush.

"Sorry, I'm just so excited! I've been keeping this file open just in case I ever had a need for it." she replied, pulling her MirrorPad 3 from her purse, placing it in the table, attaching the detachable keyboard to it.

"Uh...what's that for? Don't tell me you are gonna record this!"

"I am, but it's for educational purposes...I still have my love show you know, but the only difference is, I help the realms now, not just Ever After High students. Even my friends back in the Monster World can tune into this. Now then, name the girl that's caught your fancy!" she said, once she had set up everything and had hit record.

"Really? Can I at least sign a release form so I know you aren't putting this online?" he asked. She sighed, reaching into her purse for a folded piece of paper and a pen.

"Here, you are lucky I carry multiples of this with me." she replied. He opened the paper and briefly skimmed it. He initialed and signed his name at the bottom, handing both the paper and the pen back.

"Okay then, well...hold onto your wings, because this is gonna be a girl that you already know...the girl that I've...started liking is...Ashlynn."

"Huh? Did I just hear you correctly? Will you repeat that name?" Cupid cried, her eyes widened with surprise.

"I said, I like Ashlynn Ella, daughter of Cinderella...now stop reacting that way dammit! People are looking over here." he said, lowering his gaze a bit. He was glad to have picked a booth by the back of the restaurant, but that didn't mean people still didn't look his way. Cupid took a few deep breaths, her wings fluttering a bit as she regained her composure.

"Sorry, sorry...I just wasn't expecting her at all...I mean, Raven told me about her break up. But I wasn't aware that you had feelings for her." she said softly. He gave her a nod, leaning back in his seat.

"Yeah...I dunno when exactly it started happening. But we've been business partners and housemates for awhile. I guess it started with her waking me up with cold water when I passed out drunk on the couch. I got so pissed off, but that cute scowl she gave me was just so...damn adorable. Then there's her singing too, I wake up every day to that beautiful voice, and the birds chirping. I barely cooked in that kitchen, just eating canned stuff whenever I got hungry, and hot pockets when I had them."

"Hot pockets." Cupid muttered, imitating the catchy jingle. He glared at her, and she quickly straightened up, placing her hands folded on the table, gesturing with her head for him to continue.

"Anyway, more recently, I've been helping her get over everything that Hunter did. Helping her cope with loosing him, all of the mental abuse she must have suffered, along with all of the drinking he did in front of her. I helped her get comfortable again, got her to focus on her work...but most importantly, I got her to stop crying."

"Crying? She was crying a lot?"

"She cried herself to sleep most nights. I could sometimes hear it from my room, and it was hard for me to stand it. She's a strong person, and she most likely wouldn't have let me speak with her...so I didn't do anything. But I helped her in other ways, I kept her distracted and the crying lessened, until recently." he said.

"Alright...so you started falling for her because you wanted her to be herself again. She was always a peppy girl back in school, and cared a lot about animals. Hearing about this though...it's so heartbreaking. Go on...I hope you don't mind me taking notes."

"Christ, you're already taking video, what do you need notes for?"

"Shush! This is my process, I'm the angel of love remember?" she said.

"Hey Angel of love, there's no filming in the restaurant...store policy." the waitress said, placing their order on the table.

"Oh come on...please let me record, this is my profession after all. I help people fall in love, and I have to have video to teach my students." Cupid said, a pleading look on her face.

"Store policy honey, sorry...unless you can get someone to notice me." she said, earning a smile from the pinkette.

"Sure thing, just point to him and I'll take care of it."

"It's a her, actually...she's sitting by herself near the window, the girl with black hair." she said, pointing across the restaurant. Blake stood up, grabbing a hold of Cupid's bow, along with one of her arrows.

"I got this one, just to stand in front of her, and grab her attention." he instructed. The girl shrugged, walking away from their table. She walked across the restaurant, looking visibly nervous as she approached the raven haired girl.

"Um Blake, are you sure you can do this? Remember what happened back in high school, when Joey took my bow."

"I got this Cupid, it isn't that hard to fire an arrow." he replied, holding the bow up, keeping his sight trained on the raven haired girl.

Somehow, no one else had noticed him standing up, taking aim at someone with what a normal person would see as a deadly weapon. As soon as the waitress reached her table, the girl looked up, giving her a curious look. Blake licked his lips, taking a breath as he pulled the arrow back as far as he could. Once he had lined it up, he released his hold on it, watching it sail through a donut, heading straight to the raven haired girl, striking her in the chest. The mist burst from the arrow, swirling around her for a second before going into her nose. She shook her head a bit, giving the waitress a cute smile. She said something to her briefly, which caused the waitress to nod, she turned around, giving the two a thumbs up.

"Nice shot, I don't think I would have made it. But seriously, through a donut?" she asked, earning a shrug from the boy.

"There's always time for trick shots...anyway, let's continue, before our tea gets cold." he said, setting the bow back down on the table.

"Okay...let's move on then. I know everything that you like about her, and how you started falling in love...but the big question is...does she like you back?"

"I'm not sure...I mean, she's been affectionate. She's held my hand a lot, and when we were watching Titanic the other night, she was really close. Like laying her head on my shoulder close...she smelled like vanilla, and it just felt...normal...it felt right." he said, trying his hardest not to blush. Cupid of course noticed this, but decided not to point it out. She set her tea cup down, giving the boy a grin.

"Well then, it seems that she's starting to like you back...but clearly we won't know until we ask her."

"No! You can't ask her...that's embarrassing...plus what if she doesn't like me back? After everything with Hunter...I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't want to date anymore." he said, lowering his head a bit.

"Oh sweetheart, you don't know that. Sometimes you have to nip it it the bud and ask her. But since you don't want this, it severely hinders my progress...I could just shoot her, but that might have an adverse effect."

"Like?"

"Well, if she really likes you, she'll admit it. But if she likes someone else, or still has feelings for Hunter...then she'll go back with him. I know she said that she doesn't want to get back together...but they were together longer than anyone else. Well, aside from Raven and Dexter, who are in fact married." she said, frowning slightly. She still held some feelings toward his brother-in-law, but she had gotten over most of them long ago. That still didn't mean she felt anything however.

"I see...well, that would make things a bit worse than they are. Cinderella liked Hunter a lot, but when she got the full story, she was more disappointed than mad. Of course, Henri was pissed because he hit his little girl...I'm not sure how that meeting went. I don't think I would take it well if they got back together." he said.

"Yes...I know that feeling...you who's been single all this time, only being with Cerise...it would hurt. You've finally moved on from her entirely, and are ready for new love...and now that you've had this chance, you don't want to risk it."

"Mhmm...well, I can always marry you. I've always wondered what it would be like to have winged babies." he said, causing her to spit out her tea, thankfully not on anyone. She grabbed a hold of a napkin, wiping her lips with it.

"That's not a funny joke Blake! Giving birth to winged babies is quite difficult, and if you must know, no the feathers don't form in the womb. They grow in during the baby's first year of life. But that's beside the point, we have to figure out if Ashlynn likes you back...hmm, what to do?" she said, tapping her chin with a finger. He sighed, reaching inside his jacket for his phone, dialing his sister's number.

"I got it." he said, pressing the device to his ear. He bobbed his head back and forth for a few seconds, until Raven finally picked up the call, sounding rather tired.

" _Blake, is something the matter? Zelda didn't break anything did she?"_

"Uh...not that I know of, I'm not home...Ash is watching her, I'm actually out with Cupid...I sort of have an issue. What...what's up with you? You sound exasperated."

" _That's because I am...my manager just told me they lined up three concerts, one in Wonderland and two in Ever After. It was a surprise thing, and now I have to be away from my baby girl. Dexter is going on business during that week too, and the In-laws can't take care of her."_

"Sweet sister of mine, am I painted on the wall? Jesus, how many times have I told you before, if you have to do something business related, I'll take care of Zelda? Sheesh, in one ear and out the other." he snapped, sounding rather annoyed.

" _I know that, but you and Ashlynn are busy taking care of the store. I don't expect you to be able to watch her and manage that. Darling is off on a mission, and Daring and Rosabella got two to handle already...are you sure you can take care of her?"_

"Yes, I can take excellent care of her...I'll bring her to work and have her color or some shit. I'm sure the Glass Slipper will look even better with her little doodles everywhere. We are starting a kid line soon, so it might help get some extra gold through the door." he said, shoving a tea scone in his mouth.

" _It'll be for about two weeks, I got two concerts in Wonderland, and two in Ever After, so I'll be really busy...I'll explain everything when I get there...I've got some happy news for all of you, though I'm sure you already know what it is."_

"Okay, hey...do me a favor and uh...would you mind prodding Ashlynn a bit...I'll come out and say it, I'm in love with her and need my older sister's help. Think you can manage?" he asked curiously. He heard a giggle on the other end of the line.

" _I can handle it, I'm about ten minutes away, I'm assuming you won't be there...tell Cupid I said hi, feel free to share the info with her."_

"Will do...thanks sis, I love you."

" _Love you too, see ya soon!"_ Raven replied, hastily ending the call. He set his phone down, glancing back at Cupid, who had been eagerly waiting for him to finish.

"So, we got someone on the inside...this is always the fun part."

"I suppose so...Rae says hi by the way. Oh yes, she got some tests done a couple months back. She wanted to wait a few more weeks before having another one done and...well, she's pregnant."

"Again? Jeez, those two need another hobby." Cupid said, poking her empty cup with her finger.

"Tell me about it, I'm surprised Raven waited almost four years to have another one. Now, I wonder if it'll be a boy or a girl...only time will tell I'm afraid, hopefully Professor Oak doesn't make a mistake.

"Huh? Who's Professor Oak?"

"Only the greatest man who ever lived, he taught me everything, including not to ride a bike indoors...it was never the right time." he said, bowing his head, his face looking quite sad. Cupid sighed, deciding to remain quiet and finish her tea.

 _ **xxx**_

"Would you like some more juice sweetie? We still got plenty left."

"Sure Auntie Lynn, when's Uncle Blake coming home?" Zelda asked, earning a shrug from the auburn haired girl, who took her empty cup into the kitchen.

"I'm not sure, he said he was going to meet up with Cupid for something. But he never said for what...he'll be back soon, then you can show him your drawings."

"Okay, I'll try to draw Auntie Cupi too!" she happily replied, grabbing a clean sheet of paper and a black crayon. Ashlynn set down her refilled cup, making sure the lid was firmly on. She sat down on the couch, grabbing the remote. She flipped through some of the channels, stopping on the Celebrity channel when she saw Raven's picture on the screen.

" _This just in ladies and gentlemen. It seems famous Hard Rock singer and songwriter Raven Queen Charming, was spotted coming out of a clinic here in Meadow Brook. This young artist has been hiding from the limelight since her previous album released, because she's wanted to focus on her young daughter. But it seems that someone has a bun in the oven. One patient claims to have overheard the news while on the way to the restroom."_

"Hey, why's my momma on TV?" Zelda asked, causing Ashlynn to change the channel, quickly putting on some cartoons.

"No reason...hehe, they're just...talking about her music...you know your momma is a famous singer right?"

"Oh yeah...she sings me to sleep every night! I'll draw her too!" she cried excitedly, reaching for the purple crayon that sat beside her.

Ashlynn sighed with relief, she really wasn't looking forward to explaining to a three year old, that her mom was expecting another baby. A knock came from the door, causing her to shoot up to her feet, quickly heading over to it. When she opened it, she saw a tired looking Raven, along with Nevermore, who seemed to be panting a bit as well. She stepped aside, letting her and the dragon into the house.

"Let me guess, you got caught at the clinic and had to get out of Dodge before anyone with a camera could interview you?" she asked, a smirk on her face.

"You have...no idea. I wasn't even out the door when people were asking me about my new baby...I had to run out of there. Not to mention I had to leave Nevermore at the nearby Pet hospital because she wasn't allowed at the clinic. It was hectic, but I brought Fro-yo for you and for my little girl."

"Momma look, I'm drawing you, Uncle Blake, Auntie Cupi and Auntie Lynn. I also drew Nevermore, flying in the sky!" the little girl cried, showing her mother the drawing.

"Wow, look at how cute we all look...you're becoming an amazing artist sweetheart. Here, I brought you your favorite." she said, handing the girl the frozen yogurt she had bought her, along with the spoon. The girl quickly took the cover off, shoving a spoonful in her mouth.

"Thank you momma!" she cried, earning a loving kiss on the cheek from Raven. She took a hold of Ashlynn's hand, dragging her into the kitchen.

"We need to talk, something serious." she said.

"Oh...okay...you need help with the baby shower or something?" Ashlynn asked curiously, accepting the frozen yogurt her friend handed her.

"No, we aren't having one this time...at least I'm not. Dexter might push me into it though, he can be annoying when he wants. But this conversation isn't about me and Dex, or our new baby. I want to know...are you, you know...into my brother?"

"Huh...what?" Ashlynn asked, taken aback by the question. She almost dropped the frozen treat in her hand. Thankfully she caught it in time, setting it down on the countertop.

"I ask because...you know...I've been over a lot over the last couple months. You're demeanor has changed a lot...you were a lot shyer before, and clammed up really often. But now, you're almost back to normal, like you were back in school. I'm sure it's because Blake has been helping you cope right?"

"I...yes, he has. He's been really sweet...he's been helping me out at the store. Not only as my manager, but as the entire staff. He stocks, he helps with the jewelry, and he gives good advice to the ladies. Whenever her has a day off, he does my laundry for me, helps my mom out with her garden, and takes me out to dinner every week. He's been really sweet and caring but...I..I'm not sure what to feel."

"Hmm...the tone in your voice says it all. You're in love with him, but you are unsure if you like him back...you're scared aren't you? That what happened with Hunter will happen again." Raven said, earning a sigh from her friend.

"Yes...I am a little scared. I loved Hunter with everything I had, everything in high school went great...but after we graduated, what should have been a beautiful life...turned into something else. It was a horrible thing to experience, seeing the man you love falling into an addiction. Telling him to stop, only for him to hit you...all of the insults...I just..don't think I'm ready to date anyone else." Ashlynn replied, a few tears slipping down her cheeks. She grabbed a napkin, dabbing her eyes before her make up started to run.

"Ash, honey that isn't gonna happen again. You've had a lot of time away from him, and have been recovering steadily. But you can't hold yourself back because of this. Sometimes, in order to forget a horrible relationship, you have to jump into another one. Because if you have a happier relationship with a loving person, you'll forget the horrible one you came out of." Raven replied, causing Ashlynn to look away.

"I know that...I used to think it was horrible advice to give. But right now, I'm not so sure myself. I know Blake isn't going to do that, he's been sweet, and kind, and selfless. I mean, look at everything he's done...he saved Wonderland, fought back against the Evil Queen...he's used all of his money to help the needy. He's...the most wonderful boy...man, I have ever met."

"Then I think it's time you let yourself love again...it's time for you to move on from Hunter. He's moved on from you right? With that Morgiana girl from the Aladdin story? Well, I think it's time for you to move on too. Who knows? Maybe Blake is your Prince Charming, you never signed your page, so it might actually happen." Raven said, giving her friend a wink.

"I guess you're right...oh, but how do I tell him? I mean, does he even like me back? Would he like me? After all, I feel like I've been mooching off him for my entirety here."

"Ash that isn't true...you know he doesn't mind you being here at all. In fact, he said that since you moved in, he's been a lot happier. So he might actually like you. We're twins remember? I can feel what he feels sometimes." she said, giving him a wink.

"That's right...I suppose I won't know until I ask him right? Do you know where he might be? What cafe he's at?"

"Uh...not really? I'll text him, but don't tell him we spoke about this alright? I'm sure he would get annoyed if he finds out I helped hook you two up." she said. Ashlynn nodded, returning her focus to her half melted frozen yogurt.

"Ah! I hate Tammy the Cargo Ship! I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!" Zelda cried, her voice becoming more and more distorted as she shouted. Raven raced into the room, grabbing the remote, changing the channel quickly. She let out a sigh, turning to her daughter.

"Now sweetheart, remember what I told you...your magic is starting to come in, and we don't want you to blow up Uncle Blake's house. Try not to get mad, okay?"

"Okay momma...sorry." the little girl said, earning a smile from her mother, who picked her up, placing her in her lap as she sat down on the couch.

"Let's watch some of Uncle Blake's cartoons, he has a lot of them that you might like...Ashlynn, would you mind?"

"Not at all Raven, I think we can start her off with something that made all of us laugh back in high school. Season one of Spongebob Squarepants." she said, grabbing the Steelbook from the movie shelf, popping the first disc from inside. She quickly changed to the HDMI channel, turning the gaming system on. Raven meanwhile, focused on relaying a message to her brother, hoping she could get the address of the cafe he and Cupid were currently at.

 _ **xxx**_

"Yeah, Zelda wouldn't stop chasing the origami animals when we got there. Those poor things must have been so scared of her. The Queen of Hearts almost suffocated her from how tightly she was hugging her." Blake said, swiping through some of his pictures.

"She looks so cute in that Wonderland outfit. Lizzie has become such an amazing fashion designer...she designs my stuff you know."

"Yes I know, she designs my stuff too...we're in a band together, remember?" he asked, earning a flush from the girl.

"I know...shut up, I've been grading a lot of papers lately. Tell me who one of my kids put this answer on his test. The question was, if you see someone doing drugs or any other illicit things, what would you do? He replied with, I ain't no snitch, so I'm keeping his secret. If he's poppin mollys, why am I gonna ruin his fun?"

"That's horrible...where the hell are these kids learning this? What's the grade level you teach again?"

"Seventh Grade, so they're between the ages of ten and twelve...I had to call his parents and have a meeting. He was really mad at me, but it was a serious thing, turns out his older brother was talking to some guy who sold drugs in the Monster World. He's in rehab right now...to get him detox and some other stuff." she said, finishing the last of her tea.

"Damn, kids these days...they deserve that, it's for their good. The last thing their parents need is two druggies living on their couch for thirty years. Oh hang on, I got a text." Blake said, grabbing his phone and swiping his screen.

"What's it say?"

"It's from Raven, she wants to know what cafe we're at...apparently Ashlynn wants to talk to me." he said, glancing up from his phone.

"Oh yes! That means she's gonna confess to you, this is so cute...but you can't meet her at a cafe. Come on, I got a better place to go." Cupid said, shoving her tablet into her purse, grabbing her bow and quiver. The boy sighed, tossing his payment on the table, along with a nice tip for the waitress, who had been speaking to the raven haired girl for most of her shift. He gave the two a wave, happy that he had been able to bring them together.

Cupid didn't say anything, she just took his phone and sent a reply to Raven, without letting him see it. He just followed behind her through the streets of Cendrillion, wondering where she was leading him. After awhile, he realized that they were walking toward the eastern side of the city, toward a grassy hill that overlooked a nearby evergreen forest. In the distance were the mountains that held the crystal mines owned by Henri and Cinderella, which looked very alluring against the blue sky and the shining sun. There was a nearby tree which was packed with bright red apples, and lush green leaves. It added to the beauty of the hill, the perfect place for two people to confess their love.

"Okay, all you have to do is wait here for Ashlynn to show up...I'm sure you know what to do from here. Don't fuck it up, or I will be forced to shoot you." she said, shaking her finger before his face, a stern look on her face.

"Sure...why would I even mess this up? I like her, I wouldn't put my foot in my mouth."

"I know that...but you can never be too careful...I'll be close by, keeping an eye on everything. If it starts going south, I'll shoot both of you, though I'm sure I won't have to do that. Don't disappoint me!" she said, giving him a hug, she spread her wings and took off into the sky, heading toward a nearby thicket of trees.

" _Gee, now I'm being watched by an angel...except she's the guardian of my love life. How embarrassing."_ he thought, trying his hardest not to laugh. He moved over to the apple tree, climbing up to one of the lower branches, sitting down on it. He reached up for one of the apples above him and pulled it free. Once he had cleaned it off with his shirt, he took a bite from it, looking out into the mountains.

It wasn't long before he spotted Ashlynn walking toward the hill. He started getting nervous, and considered for a second to hide in the tree. But he knew that he couldn't do that to the girl, who had walked all the way there, just to speak with him. He tossed aside his apple core, jumping down from the tree, surprising the girl a bit. He gave her a sheepish look, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

"No...it's fine...I've just had...a lot in my mind. Oh uh...Raven came back, she's taking care of Zelda now...so you don't have to worry." she replied.

"I figured, did you figure out why she was so exasperated earlier?"

"Yes, she got news that she was pregnant and someone overheard. So now they've put it all over the news, so she had to run out of there." Ashlynn replied, causing the black haired man to laugh, moving some hair out of his eyes.

"Oh man, I feel so bad for her. This was supposed to be a secret and now the whole of Ever After knows that she's got a bun in the oven. Everyone will be saying, I know what you and Dexter did to her for awhile now. It was about time, I'm sure Zelda was starting to get a little lonely."

"Maybe this time if it's a boy, they'll name him Link...then they'd have the set."

"Nah...I want them to name their son something cool...like Boromir, or Legolas, or Harvey Dent." he said, earning a sigh from the girl.

"You can't name the baby Harvey Dent, that's a horrible name!" she cried.

"No it isn't...it's an awesome name...he could be best friends with my eventual son, Bruce Wayne...and then he can go through the whole Batman phase, asking everyone if Harvey Dent can be trusted."

"You are such a nerd, you know that?" Ashlynn said, causing him to nod.

"Mhmm, and I'm damn proud of it." he replied, shifting his eyes back toward the mountains.

"Um Blake...there's something I want to tell you."

"Me too, but I'll let you go ahead first...so go ahead, I'm all ears." he said, turning to fully face her.

"Erm...okay. This is gonna be a bit challenging for me but...here goes. Blake, over the last couple months we've been living and working together...I've started to...forget some of the things that happened. You've been helping me forget what happened with me and Hunter, you've let me stay at your house...you've been working for me for free. You've been really sweet, and kind and caring. I..."

She paused, her voice shaking a bit as she gathered her thoughts. The boy remained silent, not wanting to say anything. His heart was beating hard in his chest, that familiar choking feeling in this throat. He tried to keep his face as neutral as possible, but he was a few steps away from bursting. He didn't know how to react, he just wanted her to speak her mind before he said anything, already promising to respect her wishes either way. Ashlynn looked up at him after a second, brushing some hair behind her ear.

"Sorry, I'm just...super nervous. I haven't felt this way since...way back in high school. Regardless...you've been such an amazing kind person to me, have helped me recover. You make me laugh, you make me really mad when you get drunk, you make me cry whenever you sing a sappy song, or you deliberately pick a sad movie. I mean seriously? You know how much I cry when I watch Angel Beats, why do you force me to relive that sadness?"

"I don't know...I just, like when we watch anime together. I know we've only done it a few times but...it makes me happy, whenever I see you smile, or burst into laughter at some silly thing Jim Carrey is doing on screen. I love hearing you laugh, I hate seeing you cry...I find that annoyed expression you give me when I pass out on the couch cute. I like the way you hold my hand whenever we walk through town...I just want to make you happy." he replied. Ashlynn didn't say anything for a few seconds, before a look of relief appeared on her face. She held one of her hands to her chest, taking a few deep breaths.

"Hoo, my heart's racing right now...I suppose, I just realized something...something that will change my life for the better. I want to try something, okay Blake? I want to see if I feel something."

"Eh? Feel something, now you're confusing me...what do you want to feel?" he asked curiously. She slowly approached the boy, wrapping her arms around his neck, making the young man's eyes widen in surprise.

"A spark." she whispered, pressing her lips against his.

He didn't know how to react for a few seconds. His brain had just completely shut down, unable to process what was happening. He blinked a few times, eyes softly closing as he put his hands on Ashlynn's hips, pulling her closer to him, kissing her back. It was a soft, loving and nervous kiss. She had a great deal of experience, much more than he did. Still he kissed her back with equal passion, licking her bottom lip. She parted them slightly, allowing his request for entree, making their kiss more intense than before. They continued kissing for a few more seconds, parting for air briefly before kissing again. This time it was much more intense before, all traces of nervousness were gone between the two. Now, they were both expressing their love for each other, releasing the pent up feelings that both of them didn't realize they had. The two pulled apart after a few more seconds, panting for breath, still shaking from their make out session. Blake shook his head slightly, clearing his thoughts a bit, glancing into Ashlynn's green eyes.

"Did you feel a spark?"

"I felt more than a spark, in fact..that spark lit the fireworks." she replied, causing the boy to laugh. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly, pressing her ear against his chest.

"Wow, your heart is beating just as hard as mine...that means the two of us feel the same thing."

"I suppose so...I don't care of it's too early, I love you Ashlynn."

"It isn't too early, because I love you too." she replied, closing her eyes, a giddy look on her face. Blake glanced over to the thicket, seeing some slight movement. He saw something shooting into the air before it burst into some glowing pink smoke, which formed a giant heart in the sky. Ashlynn opened her eyes, glancing at the heart, taking one of Blake's hands into her own.

"A pink heart in the sky...was Cupid watching us?"

"Uh...I'm sorry, the number you have reached is currently unavailable. You may leave your message or press 1 for more options."

"Blake, this is a face to face conversation!" Ashlynn cried, giving him an annoyed look, placing her hands on her hips.

"Oh my god, you are so adorable when you do that...sorry, I was a bit scared, so I called in some back up. Cupid gave me that little push I needed." he replied. Ashlynn sighed, crossing her arms as she looked toward the heart in the sky, which was starting to fade away.

"Well...I'm glad she gave you that little push...because she helped you get with an amazing woman...and now, I have a wonderful man by my side."

"Yeah, you're right...I can't thank her enough for that. I promise Ashlynn, I will take care of you. I will never do the things that Hunter did, while I like to drink, I will give it up if it means I can keep you by my side."

"I understand...it's alright if you have a few drinks here and there, just don't drink a bottle of Jack and pass out on the couch. You know what will happen when you do, that hangover won't be the only thing you'll have to deal with in the morning." she replied.

"Absolutely, I prefer happy Ashlynn over pissed off Ashlynn any day. Come on, wanna go on a quick date before heading home? We can grab your favorite, low carb grass with high calorie dressing, on the side."

"Honestly, I have no idea how you can not like salad. Do you know how healthy it is for you? It will give you much more proteins and energy than eating fatty red meats."

"Dear lord, please make it so that I never fall into her vegetarian lifestyle, amen." the black haired man said, pressing his hands together.

"Oh you big baby...fine, I'll get a salad, you get yourself a big greasy hamburger with everything on it, even the cheese and bacon."

"Alright, but only if you get one too...just this once...please?" he asked, giving her a pleading look. She frowned, glancing away from him.

"Just this once, I can get sick from eating that stuff randomly."

"Yes! You are awesome Ash, truly you are." he said, kissing her cheek. She giggled, grabbing his hand once more, pulling him along.

"Let's go, it's still early in the afternoon, so we might get some stuff from the lunch menu. No fast food though, that stuff is gross...unless it's fresh never frozen meat."

Blake rolled his eyes, ignoring his girlfriend's antics as she lead him back toward town. He felt a lot lighter now that he had confessed his feelings to Ashlynn, and he was glad that she had confessed to him too. He wasn't going to do anything to make her feel uncomfortable, not now...not ever.

 _ **xxx**_

"Man, where can those two be? It's been like two hours since Ashlynn left." Raven muttered, patting her daughter's head. Zelda had fallen asleep shortly after Ashlynn had left. So Raven was left alone to surf through the channels trying to find something interesting to watch, that didn't have her face plastered over it.

She was of course wondering how everything with her brother and Ashlynn was going. She knew that the two of them were in love with each other, but she also knew that there was a slight chance that Ashlynn didn't feel the same for her brother. She knew that they were in love with each other, but she couldn't help but think a little negatively. Even through all of those thoughts, she could feel something in her heart, something that told her that everything was alright. She carefully stood up, as to not wake her sleeping daughter, and started heading toward the kitchen for a glass of water. In that moment, Blake and Ashlynn walked through the door, both laughing loudly at some joke. However, as soon as Blake noticed his sleeping niece, he quickly quieted down, pushing Ashlynn toward the kitchen.

"There you are, I was growing worried...are you two...you know?"

"Mhmm, we're officially dating. Sorry about that sis, we had a bit of a quick lunch date, I got Ashlynn to eat a burger for the first time in almost seven years." Blake said.

"Really? How was it?"

"Pretty damn good, made me almost quit being a vegetarian...almost. I wanna thank you Raven...that conversation we had earlier...it helped me think about everything. On the way to meet Blake, I thought it over...and you were right."

"I was? I mean...pfft, yeah...I was right." she said, a proud smile on her face.

"So, I take it you gave her a push in the right direction?"

"More like into your arms...but yeah, I did. Seriously, I hope you two are happy together. After everything that's happened to the two of you, you deserve happiness." Raven said, hugging the two.

"Momma, I'm hungry." Zelda cried, bringing their attention to the groggy little girl, who stood at the kitchen entrance, rubbing her eyes. Raven sighed, releasing her embrace on her brother and friend, turning to face her daughter.

"What would you like sweetie? I'll make you whatever you want."

"Chocolate cake!" she cried happily.

"Peanut butter and jelly sandwich it is. I'll have that ready for you in a couple minutes, don't worry, I'll cut the crusts off. Just how you like it." she said, giving her daughter a kiss on the forehead. She looked a little mad, but settled with the sandwich her mother offered.

"Wonder where she gets that sweet tooth from." Ashlynn said, glancing at the ceiling.

"Well, it isn't from Dexter, he doesn't like chocolate that much. It definitely comes from Raven, she's the only one who ate chocolate coated fried pickles when she was pregnant."

"What? Those cravings were insane, try having a kid with magic powers and have that shit go haywire. The cravings hit you like the Titanic hit that iceberg." she young mother replied, grabbing the peanut butter and jelly jars from the pantry.

"Oh...I hope I don't have weird cravings when I have a baby...what other things do you get?"

"Mood swings, morning sickness, atomic blasts from Satan's asshole, the weird cravings obviously." Blake replied.

"What was that third one?" Ashlynn said, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"Stinky farts, you ever smell pregnant lady farts? Jesus Fucking Christ, it's the worse thing possible. Not as bad as her water breaking in an ice cream parlor." he replied. A blue ball of magic struck the boy in the face, fading out of existence a second or two later. Glancing up at his sister, he could see she was blazing mad, her hair moving slightly with her magic power.

"Okay...the line was crossed, time to jump back over it. Let's go watch a movie, how about Pokemon 4Ever?"

"What's up with you suggesting sad movies to me? Really, it's like you want me to cry." Ashlynn snapped, giving him her annoyed look, which made he flush a bit.

"Sorry...if the movie makes you cry, then I can hold you until you feel better. That was once of the perks." he admitted, lowering his gaze a bit. She lifted his head slightly, pressing her lips against his, giving him a firm loving kiss.

"Alright, I guess that is a good reason."

"Auntie Lynn, why did you kiss Uncle Blake? Are you two like momma and poppa?" Zelda asked, causing the two to share a look.

"Um...when two people like each other very much...they show their love by kissing each other. I'm in love with your Uncle, so I want to show my love with a kiss...you'll understand when you are older. You'll find a nice guy, fall in love with him, and you'll want to kiss him too." Ashlynn replied, causing her to scrounge her nose.

"Ew, I think boys are icky...why would I want to kiss one?"

"You won't be saying that when you are twelve and in middle school." Blake said, earning a jab to he side from Raven.

"Easy there tiger, you fill her mind with filth and I will cut you. I'm pregnant again, so the moon swings will be back, and you know what happens when a pissed off pregnant sorceress is like." she warned, her eyes flashing violet.

"Yes...yes I do...I should have built that nuclear bunker after all. There might not be any nukes here, but seriously, it would protect all of us from pissed off Raven Queen." he said, shuddering a bit.

"Do I even wanna know?" Ashlynn asked, a curious look on her face. The twins shook their heads, not wanting to go into detail. She just accepted their answer, moving toward the living room.

"Come on sweetie, wanna help me pick out a movie?"

"Sure Auntie Lynn! Can we watch South Park? They talk funny on that show!" she said, causing Ashlynn to look at Blake, who quickly rose his hands.

"It wasn't me, I don't even own any South Park on DVD, all of that stuff is on my laptop. I've only burned some episodes but I gave those to Daring for his birthday." he said.

"So...guess I'm visiting Rosabella on my way home. I've got to pack my little girl's things before I leave on that tour. I'm gonna wring out his fuckin neck for letting my little girl watch that filth."

"Raven, maybe you should start by not swearing around the kid, she's gonna pick that up." Blake said.

"No she isn't, I put an enchantment on her so she doesn't hear when you or I swear like sailors. It doesn't however, block those words when spoken through videos or television shows...thus leading me to wring Daring's neck...plus I get to see my niece and nephew as well...but still, wringing out his neck." she said, placing the knife in the sink.

"Make sure he lives, we have plans this weekend." her brother replied, watching his sister walk into the living room with her daughter's sandwich and her cup of juice.

"No promises, he might be in a magically induced coma for a few days. Anyway, we need to talk about this tour, so you know what to do while I'm gone...I'm sure you two can handle it, but Zelda has a lot of quirks you need to be prepared for."

"Oh boy...magical quirks from magical children, let me get my pen and pad." Blake said, heading toward his room. He briefly stopped to kiss Ashlynn, taking her by surprise, making her almost drop the movies in her hand. He pulled away, giving her a wink as he headed up to his room.

"Hey Ash, does my brother make you happy?" Raven asked, looking up at her friend, once she had made sure her daughter was eating her food.

"He does...I saw fireworks when I first kissed him, I didn't even see that when I was with Hunter...why do you ask?"

"Because...when he kissed you just now, the two of you were glowing gold...it was brief but...I think he really is your Prince Charming." she replied, making her smile brightly, glancing toward the stairs where the young man had disappeared.

"I think you're right...I feel that way too."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:**

 **Hey all you people! EARLY MORNING POST! It is currently 7:02 at the moment this is typing...and I came to bring you the fourth part of Pantoufle Noir. This is the semi-final chapter in this story. I've had such a blast writing this alternate story, and it has been so cool to explore this pairing. I dunno, I really like this pairing a lot, which is why I've been so focused on it...then again, Holly and Blake is also one of my favorites and I will be adding to that one into the future, along with the other stories that I haven't updated.**

 **This chapter is a long one, being 12,096 words long, a whopping 45 pages long. Still a little shorter than Chapter 88 of Through the Looking Glass, but still just as informative...I hope you guys are enjoying these alternate endings, and I hope you look forward to part five of this story, which will be the final part...do not worry, the lemon cometh! It shall be here sooner than you expect, and depending on the length of Chapter 5 I may add an Epilogue to it...after all I want to show Ashlynn and Blake's children, even if I have to show them making said children, because let's face it...Melody and Apple and Briar have gotten lemons, this was gonna happen sooner or later. I'm surprised I didn't make chapter one of this the immediate lemon, which I guess adds a little more character to this story. Anyway, I hope you are all liking this story so far, I'm sure you'll all love this chapter once you actually start reading it. Tell me what you think okay? See you all later!**

Through the Looking-Glass

Alternate Universe 2

Ashlynn's Happily Ever After

 _ **(Alternate Ending to Through the Looking Glass)**_

Seven months had passed since Blake and Ashlynn had admitted their love to each other on a grassy hill in Cendrillion. It had been nothing but pure love between the two, nothing had really changed between them. Only they were more affectionate toward each other, and snuggled a lot more whenever they both had a day off, usually on Sundays. Zelda had been the most excited, since she really liked Ashlynn and would always get her to play a game with her, or got her to draw or color in her coloring books.

Since Raven was now Seven and a half months Pregnant, she needed a lot more help, especially since Dexter had been on an eight week business trip and wouldn't be back until after her due date. The two had been extremely disappointed because of this, but Dexter loved his job so Raven understood wholeheartedly. He was apparently working to secure a deal to create an all new operation system which would lead to a new innovative technology geared toward Virtual Reality Gaming. Blake had made sure it wasn't called Nerve Gear, or that Skynet didn't accidentally get created by him. Of course Dexter had no idea what those two things were, but he told him that he would know in time.

They had gone out with Hunter a few times, and met his new girlfriend Morgiana, the daughter of Aladdin and Jasmine. She had been a rather sweet girl, being a couple years younger than them, at 20 years old. She had graduated from Ever After High, but decided to wait on signing her page in the Storybook of Legends. She, like many of the others around the Fairytale worlds had gotten her page when Raven had separated the book. She had been looking forward to getting to know some of her boyfriend's close friends, and was surprised to have met his ex-girlfriend as well. Most of the conversation between her and Ashlynn was about Hunter's quirks, along with Blake's eating habits. That had just put the two men off, both deciding that the claw machine was much more interesting.

He and Ashlynn had thrown a Christmas party for the holiday season. Several of their friends had come by for a visit, including Cerise and her husband Derek. They had gotten married on October 31st, the night of her birthday. She had wanted it to be a private affair, promising to do a more traditional wedding during the summer. She had even told them she was on the road to motherhood, since she was three months pregnant with her first child. She had been surprised and happy to see Blake and Ashlynn together, and admitted that the two fit well together. Blondie had also dropped by, wanting to meet Zelda for the first time. Since she had to manage the Glass Slipper back in Bookend and was a full time reporter as well, she barely had time to leave Bookend.

Aside from various other things that had happened in their lives, including getting some of their old friends as employees and Raven dropping a new album. The two had been extremely happy...it was Mid April now, and Blake and Ashlynn were in the middle of exchanging their Winter line for their Spring line, something that they had been meaning to do for awhile. They had most of their inventory on clearance while waiting for a new shipment of shoes and clothes to arrive from their supplier. Among that was the new line of children's shoes, which had been selling quite well in the city. And with Zelda's drawings on their personalized boxes, it had brought in quite a lot of attention.

So with a lot of things going on, and their business booming, it was a blessing for the two young store owners to have some down time. Holly had been one of their new employees. She had gotten a flat in town so she could work on her next novel. Since she was in between books, she needed something to distract her. So she had asked Ashlynn for a job and had been given the position of Store Manager, along with Blake who was the General Manager. So thanks to that, Ashlynn and Blake had more off time, while Holly, Hunter and Morgiana handled the store. They had been happy, especially because they had been able to take a week off from work to just spend time with each other. Blake was especially happy, since Ashlynn had been the only girl he had spent more than three months with. He was genuinely in love with her, and had been considering quite a lot of things.

He had been thinking a lot about their future, even though they had been dating for seven months, they had known each other for years. He already knew a lot about her, which was why he jumped into the relationship with no holds barred, giving her everything she could ever want. He wasn't abusive, he drank in moderation and he treated her with respect. Never once had he hit her, and never once had he asked her for sex. They had gotten really close once, but he had been the one to stop, reminding her of the promise she had made for herself. She had even started crying when he restrained himself, telling him he had passed some sort of test. He had been a little annoyed, but another make out session with her quickly got rid of his anger.

Even his mother the Evil Queen seemed to be happy with his relationship. He didn't visit her much, but whenever Raven went back to Ever After High, she would always ask her to bring him along. After what had happened during the Dragon Games, he had accepted her as his mother, and have been showing her his affection. It was hard at first, but in the end, she was his mother and he loved her dearly, despite her being evil beyond belief. The last time they had all went to visit, they had brought Zelda along to meet her grandmother, it had been quite difficult to stop the little girl from touching the glass. For the first time since he had been in Ever After, he had seen the Evil Queen, his mom genuinely smile. It wasn't evil and there wasn't a hidden motive behind it, she was happy that she had a granddaughter and a grandson on the way. Though the sex of the baby was unconfirmed, Raven said it was a boy, just because of how big her belly had gotten.

Currently, Blake was playing Persona 5 on Merciless, and was on the boss fight with Kaneshiro, after spending several hours trying to get through his bank without dying. Ashlynn had been playing with Zelda as she often did whenever they were off work. Since Raven would be staying with them until well after she had given birth to her baby, she had quite a lot of time with the little girl. She had accepted her role of aunt even though she wasn't her actual aunt yet. Raven was currently in the kitchen, working on lunch for all of them, insisting that she needed to do something to keep her mind occupied. When asked if she needed help, she had quickly declined, saying she would be fine. Blake and Ashlynn took her at her word, she tended to get a little angry, and when she was angry, magic started flying around the house, one of the downsides of being the daughter of the Evil Queen and seven months pregnant at the same time.

"Look Auntie Lynn, I drew a doggy!" Zelda cried, happily showing her drawing to Ashlynn, who had been glancing at her MirrorPhone for the last couple of minutes. She looked up from the screen, giving her a smile.

"Wow, that's really good sweetheart! You're becoming a real artist, I think we'll hang this one at the store with all of the other wonderful drawings you've made." she said, happily accepting the paper.

"Yay! Uncle Blake, can I get a puppy? I promise to take care of it!"

"Ask your mother sweetheart." the boy replied, keeping his eyes trained on the screen. He was currently in a boss fight, and couldn't afford to look away. Zelda puffed her cheeks, walking over to the game console, pressing the off button, causing the screen to go blue.

"GAH...no...what the hell? That was the last boss fight for this chapter, it took me like four hours to get through the bank without dying!" he cried, glaring at the little girl who glared right back, her violet eyes glowing a bit.

"Stand up straight when you're talking to me! I want a puppy!"

"Zelda sweetie, it's okay...we'll see if we can get you a puppy later on...but you have to be a good girl okay? You can't just turn off Uncle Blake's game either...say your sorry." Ashlynn said firmly. The little girl looked away from the black haired man, a pout on her lips.

"I'm sorry Uncle."

"It's okay...I forgive you...but just because you turned off my game, you have to be punished. Ashlynn, would you mind giving her a bath?"

"Not at all, I agree with you...it's bath time sweetheart."

"No! I hate bath time!" Zelda cried, attempting to run away, only for Blake to grab her in his magical grasp, a smirk on his face. Ashlynn wrapped her arms around her, heading toward the stairs.

"The faster we get started, the faster we can finish."

"No...Auntie Lynn why?" she cried, her voice becoming more distant as Ashlynn took her into the bathroom, closing the door right after. Blake sighed, jumping to his feet, deciding it was a good time to refill his glass of tea.

"Raven, your daughter is your spitting image...sometimes I gotta wonder if there's any Dexter inside her." he said, setting his glass on the counter as he walked to the fridge.

"Sorry about her, she sometimes gets temper tantrums out of nowhere...well you know this already. Remember, last week it was a cat?" his sister said, turning to face him. He set the pitcher down, closing the refrigerator.

"Yup...you're right. It's kinda scary the way she acts though."

"That's because I'm her mom." She said proudly, a smirk on her face. "Wow Rae, look at that baby...I swear your bump this time is way bigger than with Zelda." he said, glancing at his sister's swollen stomach. She had been wearing a loose fitting violet dress, along with a see through black vest. She placed her hand on her belly, a warm smile on her face.

"That's because this one is a little boy, I can feel it. They say mom's who are expecting boys will often get bigger stomachs." she replied.

"Either that or you're having twins...and since it's the offspring of a Charming, that is highly likely. Are you gonna keep the tradition going? Naming them all with the same letter?" He asked, reaching over for an apple from the fruit bowl.

"Not really, since Dexter named our first child I called dibs on this one. I'm 99% sure it's a boy, and I've decided on naming him Ciel."

"Wow...anime geek." he teased, biting into the juicy red fruit. She gave him a glare, turning her eyes to the stove where she was frying up some vegetables for a Chicken and Vegetable stir fry.

"Pfft, you're one to talk...but anyway, if it's a girl...I'm not sure...I sort of wanted the matching set. I've just been dead set on having a little boy, I haven't thought of a name." she replied.

"Hmm...honestly, I think you should call your son Qrow...I mean you're name is Raven so it would make sense. Plus you get a sick RWBY reference."

"Yeah, one only you, me, Apple, Jessica and Ashlynn would get...though that isn't a bad name...but what if it's a girl?"

"Uh...Serendipity, it's the perfect name. You and Dexter got together in a serendipitous way, and while people think I was given the short end of the stick. I think my arrival back in Ever After was a stroke of serendipity." he said, biting into his apple.

"That's not a bad name...that's actually really good, I'll keep that one on the list. But I'm taking credit for it."

"Sure...go ahead and stab me, throw me in the ocean...I don't mind." he said.

"Oh don't be that way you baby...anyway, how are you and Ash doing?" Raven asked, turning the heat down on the food she was cooking so it wouldn't burn.

"We're doing fine...we went on a date last night, you and Zelda were with Darling, so we took the chance to go out on the town. We've been spending a lot of time with Cinderella and Henri too, I'm almost as good as him in golf. _Almost._ " he said, a small smile on his face.

"Well, it's good that you are getting along with her parents. It also helps that you fixed their little girl, she seemed so distraught when we met up nine months ago. And now look at her, she's absolutely glowing...you two aren't...you know?"

"Absolutely not! She said she wanted to wait until marriage, and I respect that. In fact, a couple weeks ago we were watching a movie while you and Zelda were asleep and we got a little heated. I was the one who reminded her of the promise and she was so happy she started crying...it had been some sort of test, and I passed." he replied.

"Aw, that's so cute...I mean it sucks that you aren't getting laid. But it's still cute."

"Shut up Raven, you aren't getting laid either...and you won't get laid until after you pop that one out. By then you'll be changing diapers and sleeping never." he said, a smirk on his face.

"One day, I'm gonna murder you in your sleep. But that's besides the point...I'm happy to hear that you and Ash are doing fine...but there's something isn't there? Are you...happy with her?"

"What? Of course I am...why would you ask me that? I love her more than anything in this world. She's...made me so happy, I fell in a slump after Cerise told me about her engagement. And I had started drinking daily, she saved me from that...and I guess I saved her from her past. I wouldn't trade her for anything on this planet...not for all the money in the world." he said happily.

"Yes, that is true...you are absolutely glowing...but you look a bit disappointed...no that isn't it, nervous...yeah. You seem nervous, but what about?" Raven asked curiously. Knowing he couldn't hide anything from his twin, he decided to come clean to her. He paused, glancing back toward the stairwell, still hearing the water running upstairs.

"I wanna show you something okay, but keep it secret from Ash...can you do that?" he asked.

"Sure, whatever...what's so important that you can't show it to your girlfriend?" she asked. She walked over to the cupboards, reaching for the colander that had been put above the sink.

"Uh...well...it's something that I've been keeping close for the last month. I...here." he said, holding his hand out. Raven set down the colander, taking a hold of the object he had been giving her. Her eyes went wide when she saw it was a black velvet box.

"Oh my god, this isn't what I think it is...is it?"

"Yeah...it is." he said. He watched his sister open the box, looking at the ring that sat inside.

It was a silver band, with Ashlynn's name engraved on the side of it in very fancy lettering. The stone in the center of the ring was a glittering blue diamond, which had been cut in the shape of a glass slipper. It was set with white gold, and small one karat diamonds around the blue one. Raven's hand flew to her open mouth, she was completely speechless, not knowing what to say or what to do. She just looked at the ring in her hand. She felt a tear slip from her eye, her hand quickly wiping it away.

"Oh Blake, this is so beautiful...I can't believe you're actually considering this." she said, giving the boy a hug. He smiled a bit, hugging his sister back, being sure not to hug her too tightly.

"I know...I've been thinking about this for awhile...I love her Raven...I really do. I've been thinking about what it would be like to have her as my wife...to have kids together...to grow old together. She's my princess, and I just...can't live without her." he said.

"I love you much little brother, I'm so proud of you...I never thought you'd actually think about something like this. When are you gonna ask her?" she asked, her attention turning to the pasta she had been cooking. He shoved the ring in his pocket, deciding to help his sister with the steaming pot.

"I'm not sure...it's just so nerve wracking even thinking about it...I already asked Cinderella and Henri for their blessing. Do you know how hard it is not to pass out because your favorite princess shoved your face in her chest? It took the will power of a thousand men not to die in that moment." he said, earning a laugh from Raven, who leaned back against the counter, placing a hand on her stomach.

"I would assume it is a hard thing to do...if you want my advice...I'd say you should go for it in a romantic setting. I remember, Dexter took me out to this really fancy restaurant. We got the most expensive meals, because he insisted, and once I was drunk on a hundred year old bottle of wine, he just popped the question right fuckin there. I was crying so much my damn mascara wouldn't stop running."

"Hmm...not a bad idea...but I think that's been done. There's no amusement park here either...I guess I could take her out for ice cream. She hates to admit it, but she loves that stuff, I have to get her to go on a run every morning so she doesn't get chubby. She's so cute whenever I take her ice cream away." he said, earning a sigh from Raven.

"I'm sure she is...go on, I'll finish making lunch for all of us. Maybe you should start thinking of ways for you to ask Ashlynn that question."

"Ask me what question?"

"Gah...Ash hey, I told you not to sneak up behind me." Blake said, turning to face his girlfriend, who's shirt was soaking wet. She had pulled her hair in a ponytail, and most of her white Capri's had been covered in suds.

"Sorry honey, I didn't mean to scare you...anyway, what was it that you wanted to ask me?"

"Um...I uh...was wondering if...you would be interested in...picking carrots later today?" he asked, a cringe on his face. Raven mentally face palmed, finding the food she was preparing much more interesting for the moment.

"Pick carrots? Carrots aren't even in season...why would you ask me that?"

"I dunno...it was just a test, to see if you were aware that it was in fact, not carrot season. Anyway...you wanna get some ice cream tonight? Just you and me?" he asked. She rolled her eyes, placing a loving kiss on his lips.

"I'd love too...I gotta go, I left Zelda drying off on her bed. You know how she gets when she's left alone for too long. The last thing we need is a three and a half year old running around the house in the buff." she said, heading back upstairs, with a water bottle in hand.

"Nice save, picking carrots? Jeez you are a dumb ass for even saying something like that."

"Shut up Raven, I was put on the spot, what was I supposed to say?" he asked, a nervous look on his face. His hands were shaking a bit as he turned away from his sister.

"Now, I asked her on a date...but I'm frightened she might say no. I don't think I'm up for this yet."

"Blake, little brother calm down...just treat this like a normal date. If you want to ask her that question, then you go ahead and ask her. If not, then just treat it like what it is, a date. You two love each other, don't let something as small as this ruin a night of fun for you two." she said, giving him a smile.

"You're right...thanks for the advice sis...are you done making that? I'm starving."

"I am done, but you aren't getting any. Until my little girl is fully dress and gets her butt down here, you aren't eating anything. And we're waiting longer for Ash to change into something dry."

"Aw...damn it...okay fine...I'll go play on my phone." he said, leaving the kitchen. Raven sighed, ignoring her brother's antics, she loved him dearly, but sometimes he could really be a little kid.

 _ **xxx**_

To say Blake was nervous was an understatement. He was shaking more than the time he had first visited his mother. He and Ashlynn were currently at the ice cream parlor, sharing a sundae that he had bought for the two of them. He had insisted despite Ashlynn wanting to pay half like always. She had been replying to some text messages from Briar who had been in between films. They had been planning a little get together for the weekend, and he was rather excited for that. He wanted to see his friend again, instead of having to see her in the soap opera she acted in, or in whatever action movie was set to premier that year. One of the perks from being friends with an actress was of course the fact that you got free VIP tickets to early screenings of the show, the last time he had seen her in person was during the unveiling of her last movie, The Last Bloom of Summer. She was the star of the movie along with some other actor he didn't care for.

Thankfully Ashlynn had been busy looking at her phone and not noticing his unusual shaking. He had been looking out the window into Cendrillion, his eyes landing on the castle that belonged to Cinderella and Henri, the King and Queen of the city, and the surrounding villages and towns. He still had a hard time believing Cinderella had spent millions installing an escalator. But if she was gonna lose a shoe every time she was climbing down to get her mail, she needed something quick and efficient. He reached for the spoon he and Ashlynn had been using, only to feel her hand brushing against his. He turned to face her, giving her a small smile.

"Sorry."

"No no...it's fine...you can go next." she said.

He flushed a bit at her smile, grabbing a hold of the spoon. Instead of taking the bite for himself, he held it out for Ashlynn who flushed at his offer. She glanced at around the parlor, seeing several others glancing in her direction, hopeful looks on their faces. Her blush darkened as she finally took the bite, quickly looking away from her boyfriend.

"Erm...how's Briar doing?"

"She's fine...she's getting an offer for some new show...The Running Dead or something."

"The Running Dead? Really Ever After? That's not even that original." Blake said, leaning back in his seat.

"She's thinking a lot about it, because it's gonna be a seven year contract so she's not gonna be able to do much else. The plus side is that they'll be filming around Rosalia so she'll be close to home." she replied, earning a nod from the boy, who took a bite from the ice cream, shoving a bit of fudge in his mouth.

"That's good, as long as she's close to her parents...that's all that matters. I'm sure Aurora misses her daughter enough as it is, though seeing her on TV is pretty cool. Hey, ask her why that soap opera she's in now can't fix their fucking gun problem...seriously, there's this one scene where Briar was shooting at a thief and she didn't reload once."

"Honey, I already told you...they're using props and the guys that edit it forget to do it right." Ashlynn said, causing him to sigh.

"I know that, but you tell her, to tell them to get off their asses and make some good quality television...it's for her own good honey."

"Aw...I know that...I'll be sure to tell her." she said, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. She grabbed a hold of the ice cream dish, claiming the last of the ice cream.

Blake rolled his eyes, deciding to let her finish their snack, seeing as she had already eaten 60% of it. He glanced to his right when he heard footsteps, seeing a young boy, about thirteen years of age standing in front of their table. He was about to ask him what was wrong when he noticed Purple Rhapsody's logo on his shirt, along with the image of a hooded wolf, which had been the cover art for their fourth album, Red Riding Wolf. It was an album that headed in a more hardcore direction, and most of the songs had been sung by Cerise, which surprised quite a lot of people. He gave the little boy a smile and a nod.

"Hey there little guy, is something wrong?"

"Um...would it be okay if you signed my shirt?" he asked quietly.

"Of course, I have no issue with that." he said, reaching into his pocket for a marker which he carried around with him all the time.

It wasn't uncommon to see tourists wanting an autograph from him. In fact, he had gotten people visiting him personally for pictures with him and Raven, which made it a little awkward now that she was pregnant. He clicked the pen a few times, finding a good spot for his signature...he ended up signing his name on the sleeve, visible for everyone to see.

"There you go buddy, always happy to meet a fan. What's your favorite song?" he asked curiously.

"Strike Back, I like all of your high school stuff...when I graduate from middle school, I'm going to Ever After High. I know I don't have a destiny, but it's still an awesome school." he said happily.

"Let me tell you a little secret, Ever After High...it isn't just for the children of Fairytales...it's a school for everyone who wants to attend. It's filled with awesome teachers and amazing people, you'll be making a fine choice, and you won't regret it at all...I promise." he said.

"Really?"

"He's telling the truth sweetheart...me and Blake met in high school. We were friends there, because I was with someone else. But now we're together and we're both happy. We've had a lot of adventures, broke the curse on Wonderland, helped save Neverland...and even saved the world from eternal Winter." Ashlynn said, earning a gasp from the boy.

"Really? You were the ones who saved Ever After from eternal winter? When the Snow King went all crazy and almost killed everyone?"

"That's right...we had to get the four roses of the seasons and make a special potion to get rid of the Snow King's evil curse. It was a long and grueling journey, but we all became much much stronger than before. In fact, one of our friends, Briar...was offered a role in the movie adaptation of it...it's gonna be really cool." he said.

"Wow...I can't wait for it! Thanks a lot Blake, I'm sad that Purple Rhapsody broke up during the Winter, but I'll always love your music. Thank you for everything!" he said happily, hugging the young man tightly before heading to the door where his friends were waiting, a bright smile on his face.

"You're so sweet Blake, you're gonna be an awesome dad in the future." Ashlynn said, giving him a wink. He flushed a bit, a proud smile on his face.

"Damn straight I am." he replied. He flushed a bit when he thought about what she had said, and glanced out the window.

" _I'll be an awesome dad...only if you agree to be the mom of our children...I gotta ask her this stupid question already...it's gonna drive me up the wall."_ he thought to himself. Ashlynn stood up, grabbing a hold of their empty ice cream dish.

"I'm gonna go get another one for Raven and Zelda, don't wanna have them be left out right?" she asked.

"True, Zelda was a trooper during dinner, helping me and Raven with the dishes...she's gonna be a big help when the baby comes. I'm sure of it. It was so cute watching her talk to the baby and try to show it her drawings. I'm pretty sure I saw Raven crying."

"Me too, I took a video and sent it to all of our friends...you should have seen Blondie's text...anyway, I'll be right back." Ashlynn said, heading toward the front counter. Blake sighed as he shoved his hand in his pocket, about to reach for the ring box within when he heard something clattering to the ground.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry...I didn't mean to bump into you."

"Dawg, this was a white shirt! How the hell do you think I'm gonna get this stain out now?" a large man cried, glaring right down at Ashlynn, who shied back slightly.

"Uh well...if you hurry home and put it in water, it'll help loosen it a bit. You can add a bit of dish washing soap to it and rub it every few minutes, it has to be in cold water though...then you can just toss it in the wash."

"Sounds like great advice, but I wouldn't have to do that if you hadn't bumped into me. This shirt was 65 gold missy, and you are going to pay me back for it." the man hissed, causing the girl to back up slightly.

"Hey man, it was an accident...do you even know who you are talking too?" the cashier asked, earning a glare from the man.

"Stay the hell out of this prick...this is between me and this stupid bitch. You really need to get your fuckin eyes checked sweetheart...but I'm sure I can let this slide. If you pay me back in full I'll forget about it, or you can pay me back another way."

"Hey asshole, why don't you back the fuck off?" Blake cried, appearing next to his girlfriend, wrapping his arm around her waist. The man chuckled, shaking his head slightly.

"Let me guess, you're here to be the hero, and are gonna pretend she's your girlfriend, as if this hot piece of ass could possibly be with you."

"Excuse you! I am a lady and you will respect me as such, I am also Princess Ashlynn Ella of Cendrillion, daughter of Cinderella, so as your future Queen you will respect me!" she snapped angrily, glaring at the man.

"Ha, you? My future Queen? I doubt that shit...you're probably just faking it. Hey man, I don't care if she's your girl or not but someone has to pay for my shirt...so I'm afraid she's either gonna pay me the money, or come with me." he said, giving Blake a grin. Blake nodded, reaching into his pocket for his wallet, pulling the 65 Gold from within.

"I'll pay for your fucking shirt, but I'll give you this money with a warning. Never talk to my girlfriend that way again, you hear me? She's your Princess, your future Queen...and if I ever catch you speaking to her, or any woman in that manner again, I will kick your ass."

"Pfft, whatever...I bet you hit like a girl." the man said, earning a smirk from Blake. He pulled his fist back, throwing a left hook at the man, knocking him onto his ass. He threw the money at him, a smirk on his face. He knelt down, patting the man's chest.

"Don't know about you buddy...but I don't hit like a girl...I'm the son of the Evil Queen after all." he said, giving him a toothy grin, eyes flashing violet. The man grabbed his money and got up rushing out of the store.

"Thank you Blake...I don't know what he would have done if you hadn't been here." Ashlynn said, giving the boy a kiss on the cheek. The cashier also gave him a thankful look, everyone looking at the couple muttering about what just happened.

"It's no problem...it's just...I feel bad for lying to the guy, he's gonna be so distraught when he finds out." he said.

"Huh? What are you talking about? How did you lie to him?" Ashlynn asked, oblivious to what he was about to do. He just gave her a smile, reaching into his pocket.

"Well, I told him you were my girlfriend."

"Yeah...and? I sort of am your girlfriend...why are you talking like this? You're just confusing me."

"Well, you are my girlfriend, but after tonight I want you to be something else." he said, taking a deep breath. He knelt down on his knee, holding the open ring box before her, a grin on his face. She just looked at the object in his hands completely shocked. Her eyes were wide as saucers, her heart beating hard in her chest.

"Ashlynn Ella, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" he asked, trying to ignore the flashing cameras and the people trying to get video of the moment before them.

"I...y-yes, I will." she said, giving him a nod. He felt a weight be lifted off his shoulders as he took the ring out of the box, sliding onto her left ring finger. He gave her a hug, lifting her off the ground slightly, pressing his lips onto her own in a passionate kiss. Everyone around them started clapping and cheering loudly.

"Congratulations you two, I hope you guys are happy and have an awesome wedding. Since you come to this place so often, we'll be glad to provide ice cream during your wedding, it's the least I can do for teaching thay guy a lesson." the cashier and owner of the establishment said, earning smiles from the two.

"Thanks Tom, we appreciate it. By the way, everyone here is invited to the wedding, it's gonna be a royal affair so we want Ashlynn's future subjects to be there." Blake said, earning a blush from his fiancee.

"You're already thinking about the wedding?"

"Duh...I've been thinking about the wedding for awhile...you have no idea how nervous I was...thank you for saying Yes...you don't know how happy you've made me." he said, kissing her cheek lovingly.

"I only said yes because you are the sweetest most loving guy in the world. You've helped me recover from my previous relationship, helped me open up a store that's on the verge of being expanded. You've treated me like a queen even though you didn't have too, and have honestly been the best thing to have ever happened in my life. I'm glad I knocked on your door all those months ago. If I hadn't, I wouldn't be getting married to the most wonderful man in Ever After."

"I love you Ashlynn."

"I love you too Blake." she said, giving the boy a kiss, causing the gathered crowd to once again start clapping.

 _ **xxx(2 ½ Months Later)xxx**_

After several weeks of planning, the day had finally come for Blake and Ashlynn's wedding. Hundreds of invitations had gone out to all of their friends and family. Though some couldn't come, including his Brother-in-Law who was still away on business, the event was still going to happen. It was being held in Cinderella and Henri's castle, in the back courtyard, which had been prepared for all of the guests of honor, while the other citizens and visitors had to remain outside until the reception. Since Dexter had been out of town, Blake had a rather difficult time choosing his Best Man, but in the end ended up going with Daring Charming. Among the groomsmen was Alistair, Hunter, Sparrow, Jack and even Joey, who had since become a better person and had rekindled his friendship with Blake.

Ashlynn had also been having a hard time picking a Maid of Honor. She was close with all of her friends, and Raven couldn't exactly stand with her due to being 36 weeks pregnant. So in the end, Apple White had become her Maid of Honor, with Briar, Blondie, Lizzie, Holly and Poppy being her bridesmaids. Zelda and Belle would be the flower girls, with a bit of assistance since they were still young, and Daring Jr, would be their ring bearer. To make it even more traditional, somehow Cinderella had convinced Milton Grimm to be the one to officially marry them. Blake had honestly thought the stiff headmaster wasn't going to show up, but he was very much surprised when he, Giles and the entire staff of Ever After High had showed up, all of them being part of the entourage of guests that had been invited.

Blake of course was currently in one of the spare bedrooms on the West side of the castle, closest the courtyard. He had gotten into some black silk dress pants, and some polished leather oxford shoes, which golden stitching. He was wearing a firmly pressed white long sleeved shirt, stuffed into his pants, a pair of black suspenders holding his pants up. He was wearing a light blue shirt, one of the colors that Ashlynn had picked for the Groomsmen. Blake had wanted to add a splash of color to the wedding as well, so he had all of the Bridesmaids wear green, something that almost made Cinderella scream and rant about how it didn't go well together. But Ashlynn had also decided against it, because she wanted her wedding to be unique. His hair had been slicked back, his long fringe normally over his eye, having been trimmed and dyed various colors, thanks to Poppy O'Hair who had graduated with a degree in cosmetology.

Even though it was supposed to be a happy day, Blake was nervous. He had been pacing around the bathroom, fixing his tie for the last ten minutes. He had been completely prepared for the wedding and during the wait to the big event, couldn't stop speaking about it. But now that he was there, about to get married, the sudden weight of it all had come crashing down on him. He was nervous that something would go wrong, or that Ashlynn wouldn't show up, even though he had spoken to her earlier in the day. He just couldn't sit still...he grabbed a hold of his pocket watch, eyes widening a bit when he saw the time. The wedding started at noon and it was already eleven forty-five. He walked over to the sink, filling a glass to the brim with water, downing it in a single gulp.

"Yo, Blake...where the hell are you at bro? It's almost game time!" the voice of Joey said, as he entered the bedroom. Blake walked out of the bathroom, standing before his friend.

Joey hadn't changed much since his time in high school. He had grown a bit taller, and his hair had grown a bit shaggy. He had a scar across his eye which he had gotten during the Dragon Games. Like Blake, he was wearing a black silk suit, with a salmon pink under shirt, a light colored tie and black shoes. He had a red rose sticking out of his pocket, pinned to the inside so it wouldn't fall out. He gave Blake a once over, shaking his head as he closed the door.

"Let me guess, last minute jitters?"

"Y-yeah...I dunno man...this is just...I'm scared...what if she doesn't show up?"

"She will."

"What if she doesn't say yes?" he asked, earning a squinting look from Joey.

"Bruh...if she wasn't about to say yes, why the fuck do you think she agreed to marry your ass in the first place? You love this girl with all of your heart right? If you do then man the fuck up and get to the altar." he said firmly.

"I know, I know...I'm just...nervous okay? How did you feel when you and Fay tied the knot?"

"We got drunk when we visited a casino and woke up naked in a hotel room. We didn't exactly have time to get nervous, and the hang over wasn't pretty either...while we thought it was a mistake at first, we soon realized we were truly meant for each other...despite the fact she fucked me over in high school...but that was for my own good." Joey said. Blake sighed, sitting down on the bed.

"It's just...I've been dreaming about this day for awhile...I thought me and Cerise would get there...we were in love...but were we truly in love? I mean...we acted like it, but you know how that ended...one single spat ended us."

"Yeah...sorry about that, I was a cock in school...but there is some reasoning behind that question, I guess. Have you and Ashlynn fought before?"

"Countless times...we scream at each other, growl at each other...whenever we're giving Cadence a bath, tackle each other into the mud. But we always make up, and we always apologize to each other. We just talk it out and forget about what happened entirely...she understands me...way more than I think Cerise did." He replied, earning a chuckle from the man.

"Well then there's your answer...if you say she's the one for you, then she is...but remember. The man is supposed to be at the alter first, not the woman, unless we're in Wonderland...in which case you'd be in the dress and not Ash."

"You're right...thanks for the pep talk man...I'm gonna do it...I'm gonna get out there and seal the deal." he said firmly, grabbing a hold of his suit, slipping his arms through it, quickly buttoning it.

"Yeah, you might want to wait until tonight for that second part...it wouldn't be polite to seal the deal in front of the guests." Joey said, earning a glare from his friend. The two of them laughed, bumping fists.

"Hey Joey...I'm happy that we're friends again...we had a lot of spats in high school...but really...thanks for being here."

"It's my pleasure...let's get you to the altar." he said, earning a nod from the Groom.

Meanwhile, Ashlynn was in her room in much the same state. She was standing in front of the wall length mirror, staring at the beautiful dress she had been in. She was wearing a form fitting dress, a strapless dress that had been designed by Lizzie. The sweetheart neckline had been lined with golden embroidery, the letters spelling out her full name, even adding the new surname she would be taking on after the wedding. The natural waist line dress hugged her hour glass curves nicely, extending down to the mid thigh before turning into a ruffled white trumpet, with various layers of see through cloth. She was also wearing her mother's glass slippers, the same ones from The Little Glass Slipper, which her mother was meant to pass onto her before she started her story.

Her long auburn hair had been left completely down, with two long strands to frame her face. Most of it had been curled at the ends, with long streaks of pink running through it. One of the strands framing her face had also been dyed pink, and had a small ribbon tied to it, bearing a small glass butterfly, which had been a gift from Briar for her wedding. Her eyes were lined with black eye liner, and dark colored eye shadow, which made her eyes pop out quite a bit. Her lips were crimson red with glossy lipstick. She had been wearing some bracelets that her mother had given her, along with a necklace that Blake had designed, called Le Couer de la Mere, which had been made with a blue diamond cut into the shape of a heart. It was an identically replica to the one in her favorite movie, Titanic. She was wearing a golden tiara on her head, which was encrusted with small blue, pink and white diamonds, the veil being attached to it. She was holding a bouquet of white roses in her hands, which had been picked right out of her garden.

She looked beautiful, and even though she wanted to cry she knew she couldn't. She had done her make up three times and Holly had told her if she cried again she was going out there with tear streaks on her cheeks. So she had been thinking about her final exam answers from her senior year, not wanting to focus on the Wedding...but it was hard for her not to focus on it. It was finally the day of, the day that she was going to marry her Prince Charming and start the rest of her life. It was hard for her not to faint, and didn't want to...the last thing she wanted to do was disappoint her friends.

"Ash, it's almost time...are you ready?" Holly asked, causing the girl to look at her.

Holly was dressed in a mermaid style green dress. It was a form fitting dress with a sweetheart neckline, and a scaled design to it. The dress extended down past the knee, becoming angled, the hemline being decorated with bright green sequins. She was wearing a pair of sea green glass heels, which wrapped around her leg, and glittered brightly. Her hair, which was twice as long as Ashlynn's had been tied up into a ponytail with a bright leafy green hair tie, which resembled tree leaves, and had dark outlines. She was wearing little make up, her eyes being lined with blue pencil and light green eye shadow. She wore light pink lipstick on her lips, and like Ashlynn, was wearing a diamond necklace around her neck. She was holding a bouquet of daisies in her hands, which were a silky white color.

"I'm nervous Holly...what if he doesn't show up?"

"I'll gut him like a pig."

"That doesn't sound fun...what if he doesn't say yes?"

"Well...he wouldn't have asked you to marry him if he wasn't gonna say yes. He's come this far right? Besides I saw him earlier and he looks just as nervous as you do...but if he doesn't say yes, I'm gonna gut him like a pig." she said gruffly, just like before.

"Okay...have you been writing another animal themed novel lately?"

"No...yes...maybe a little...but this isn't about my book or my skill with a paring knife. It's about you, and your beautiful wedding, and the fact your boobs look better in your dress than mine." she said, earning a giggle from Ashlynn, who became a bit more relaxed.

"Sorry about that Holly, I guess all the growing I had left from my teenage years went somewhere else. I'd like to thank you...for keeping me calm."

"It's no problem...Apple wanted to be the one to give you the pep talk, but she was flirting with this cute boy from Wonderland High...I think she might be getting some tonight...you know what they say, Always a Bridesmaid never a Bride."

"But she's the Maid of Honor." Ashlynn said, earning a shrug from the girl.

"I didn't write the damn saying...now come on, before you start having a nervous breakdown...I'll walk you." Holly said, hooking her arm through Ashlynn's earning a grin from her friend.

"Thank you Holly...you can be the godmother to our first child." she said, earning an eep from the girl who almost fainted.

 _ **xxx**_

Blake let out a sigh as he stood at the altar, glancing around the courtyard. Cinderella had spared no expense when it came to their wedding, even though he insisted she didn't. Five hundred guests had shown up, including the staff of Ever After High. The front rows had been reserved for family and close friends to the Bride and Groom. While the back rows had been for those who had been close personal friends of Henri or Cinderella, including Briar and Apple's parents, along with Rapunzel and Eugene, and even the Snow King and Queen. It made him even more nervous knowing that s many people had been watching, including his mother who's mirror had been placed next to Raven, who had been looking at her phone sadly. She was going to video chat with Dexter so he could see the whole thing live. He could tell she missed him quite a lot.

"Yo Blake, are you doing alright? You look nervous." Daring said, grabbing his attention.

"Oh...I'm fine...I'm a little nervous, but I'm more disappointed that Dexter can't be here. He tried everything he could to get just today off, but he couldn't get the day off." he said, glancing at his friend. He hadn't changed a bit since high school, becoming much more humble than before. He wore his crown on his head, polished to a shine.

"Yes, he may run the company as the CEO, but his bastard manager is quite a bastard of a man. All he asked was one day for him to be at his Brother-in-law's wedding...but nope. You are too busy for something that important...I know I can be a beast sometimes, but that man is truly worse than me."

"Really? What does Rosa say about that?" he asked curiously.

"We're in agreement in fact...she thinks he's a beast as well...shame, there's only one true beast in our lives." Daring said, shuddering a bit at the thought of Tobias. Blake shook his head, trying to forget what had happened.

"Yeah...that wasn't a good day for anyone."

The two men were rapidly silenced as the band started playing the Wedding march, almost causing Blake to scream. He earning a smirk from Milton Grimm who shifted his eyes back down the aisle. He fixed his tie slightly as he turned to the aisle, eyes widening a bit when he laid eyes on his bride to be. She looked absolutely stunning in her dress, every single curve highlighted by her dress. He knew that 90% of women got married in a white dress, but Ashlynn was wearing it far better than anyone he had ever seen. He held back the urge to cry, biting his cheek as Henri stopped at the front of the alter, giving the boy a nod.

"Well then, it seems we are ready to start. Just for clarification, Henri Charming Ella, you will be handing Ashlynn off today yes?"

"That's right Milton, I knew this day was coming for a long time...and I'm happy that it's finally happening." the man replied. Milton turned to face Blake, gesturing for him to stand next to his bride.

"Hello Dad." the boy said jokingly, holding his hand out to Henri who laughed, along with a few others who heard the joke.

"Hello son, you look wonderful...take care of my little girl."

"I will, I'll protect her until the day I die." he replied, hooking his arm through Ashlynn's both coming to stand in front of the alter. The Groomsmen and Bridesmaids took their places along side the altar, eagerly awaiting the service to begin.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we're gathered here today to see the union of two young lovers in holy matrimony. Even though it shouldn't be possible, because of the rules of destiny, these two have managed to find a pure and honest love, that even the Storybook of Legends has to accept. I remember the very day Ashlynn Ella walked into Ever After High, carting seven trunks filled with shoes, it took several trips to get all of them to her room." he said, earning some laughs from the crowd, causing the girl to blush brightly.

"Yes...as I recall, it had been Tiny who helped her when the new shipment arrived. Sadly, he couldn't be here because he had other more important family matters to attend too. I also remember when young Blake walked through my office that fateful day. Back then, he was known as Blake Bigby, a young man from another world. I didn't trust him at first, in fact I was counting the hours until he returned home." he said, earning a curious look from the young man. Milton flipped the page in his notebook, glancing at it briefly before looking at the crowd.

"Yes...I was worried that someone from another world would cause trouble. And he did, the Indoor Golf incident, that Ashlynn also participated in, the rallies to advocate for the Rebel side of the conflict, the detention, the talent show that blew us all away, Thronecoming, the Winter Formal, that one time he pied me in the face." he said, causing the crowd to laugh loudly. Blake was trying not to laugh, but seeing Ashlynn's smile made him give in. Milton quickly silenced the crowd, continuing his speech.

"Indeed there were quite a lot of things that happened when he was in school. But there were also good times, like when he and Ashlynn helped save Wonderland, when they went on a daring rescue trip to Neverland to bring back Miss Apple White. Saving the school from the Evil Queen, breaking the curse of Eternal Winter...all of these are events that I will remember and cherish, and will continue to share with my students for generations to come...but we aren't here for a trip down memory lane...I ask you all a simple question, what is love?"

He remained silent for a few seconds. Jessica of course tried standing from her seat, seeing the chance to continue singing a rather famous song. But she was being held down by Farrah and Rosabella, who quickly wrangled her in. A single glare from her father Merlin and she quickly settled into her seat, crossing her arms with disdain.

"I ask this question, because it has many answers. Love is something that everyone feels, there is maternal and paternal love, sibling love, love toward inanimate objects, abstract ideas and music. But there is only one true kind of love, the love that two people mutually share. The love that has brought these two together here. And it is because of this love, that we have all come together, because we want to honor and cherish it, and nurture it, so that it may grow strong and beautiful. Ashlynn Ella and Blake Queen come from two different stories, practically two different worlds. But after a few years, they managed to find the one thing that they have in common, that is far stronger than anything else. That is the love that they share with each other."

"I'm about to cry." Ashlynn whispered, earning a nod from Blake who tightened his hold on her hand.

"Me too." he replied, giving her a smile.

"Now then, the bride and groom have written vows to each other. It is now time for all of us to bare witness to them. And you better do your best to keep them Mr. Queen, I may not be able to give you detention anymore, but I can still make your life hell." Milton said firmly, earning a laugh from the Groom.

"Trust me Headmaster, I wouldn't dare break something so sacred...you know me, when I make a promise, I keep it. Remember Felipe?" he asked, earning a cringe from the man. Daring pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket, handing it to Blake, with Apple doing the same for Ashlynn. They turned to face reach other, both unfolding the paper.

"You can go first honey." Blake said softly, earning a nod from Ashlynn, who took a deep shaky breath, trying to calm herself.

"I'm a little nervous but, here we go...Blake, I remember the day we met like it was yesterday. You came into the castleteria with Raven and Apple, cheek reddened from the hearty slap the blonde had given you...it definitely helped make a first impression. You were a kind young man, always helping out anyone in need, even if they weren't a good person. I remember the advice you gave me on True Heart's Day, I hold it in my heart to this day...I also remember you calling me a bitch that day, and trust me I deserved it." she said, earning a small snort from the boy, who quickly composed himself.

"I remember that very day you wore a pair of my glass heels, only to be caught by Apple shortly after. The Indoor Golf game had been the most fun I had up until then...I also recall the day Henry exposed your secret to us, that you wouldn't go home. It hurt seeing you like that, but you bounced back, and that's something I will always remember. We danced together during the Winter Formal, after that amazing song Purple Rhapsody played...we had some uh...questionable experiences during the Spring Fairest. We went to Wonderland together and ended up saving the entire World." she said, turning the page over. She looked up at the boy, practically ignoring the words she had carefully written.

"You helped me out during a rough time, after everything that happened. I felt so broken and lost, and was couch surfing from place to place until I was lead back to you. You took me in, helped me forget everything, helped me start a new store...introduced me to the most beautiful little girl in the world, and made me feel happy again. You filled the hole in my heart. The most memorable thing in my life, aside from our first kiss on that hill, is you knocking a guy on his ass after I spilled chocolate on his shirt, because it was the same day that you made me the happiest woman in the world.

I vow to always be by your side, to love you and to keep you. To help you when you are in trouble, take care of you when you are sick. I will cherish every single moment of our lives until death do us part. And even in death, I will always love you. I can't wait to start the rest of our lives together...beat that." she said, giving him a wink at the end. Milton chuckled turning to Blake, who had his mouth slightly opened.

"Well Mr. Queen, it seems your bride has issued a challenge...will you step up to the plate or drop the mic?"

"Oh well, I can't exactly turn down a challenge. I'm gonna go off the cuff for this one." he said, shoving the paper in his pocket, facing his bride once more.

"Ashlynn Ella, you are without a doubt the most interesting woman I have ever met. I remember our talk all of those years ago, I also remember looking quite sexy in those heels. I'm sure Apple can confirm." he said, glancing at the blonde who just gave him a thumbs up, among laughs from the guests.

"I remember dancing with you during the Winter Formal, and having to keep my thoughts back because both of us had other people then. But now I can say those thoughts...I couldn't stop looking at your eyes, those beautiful pools of green that I could stare at for hours. Those cute lips that are so irresistible that I find myself wanting to kiss all the time, even now. I remember the Spring Fairest, quite vividly in fact...you made me quit eating burgers for months, your lips also tasted like ketchup, something that I'll always remember."

"Oh jeez." Ashlynn muttered, trying not to flush.

"Hehe...I remember finding you and Duchess in Wonderland, after you two went totally insane. I mean, jumping into the Well of Wonder without a back up plan? That was crazy...I recall before that, finding that Stellanium, which you said I would never find, proved you wrong, so that's a point for me. I remember, how worried you were for Apple when Felipe was around...how worried you got that summer when someone forgot to anchor the boat." Blake said, glaring at Daring who just whistled, looking away from the black haired boy. He shook it off, facing Ashlynn again.

"I remember the Dragon Games like they were yesterday, and everything that happened. Still kinda mad at mom for that one, I remember the journey we took to gather the roses up...to save Crystal's father from the Kindness Blindness. I remember graduation as well, when we all got our diplomas and whooped and cheered, and drank late into the night, even though we weren't allowed too. More recently, I remember that day you knocked on my door...how distraught you looked...broken hearted...you weren't the happy go lucky Ashlynn I had met." he said, pausing to gather his thoughts. He took both of her hands in his own, giving her a smile, as he tried containing his tears.

"The first few weeks we skirted around each other. But you slowly told me what happened, and I started feeling so bad. I remember hearing you cry yourself to sleep, which made me get up and drink whatever shit I had in my fridge...whoops, don't repeat that one kids. Anyway, even after you had started moving on, I often times drank myself to sleep, just so I could be woken up by that annoyed look of yours. Or your gentle singing...it's been hard being in Ever After...getting used to everything. Having to abandon my old life, and live as the son of the Evil Queen in this world. Even when I had down days, you were always there to cheer me up, you have a way with kids, and whenever you make one smile I just want to hug you and kiss you for hours.

I don't just wanna be your husband, or your Prince Charming...I want to be your only one. Your other half, your confidant, that guy who hides your sweets in the toilet because you don't wanna gain weight. Even though we both know you'll find them anyway. I wanna be the one who holds your hand when we walk through park...I want to be the one who holds your hair back when your puking your guts out. I wanna be the one who holds you when you cry. I'll never love another woman in my life the way I'll love you...maybe in ten years, they'll be another girl in my life, a beautiful little girl who'll call you mommy every single day when she wakes up.

I promise, I will never break your heart, because that would be like breaking my own heart. I'll be there when you need me, and even if you don't I'll be there. I'll take care of you when your sick, give you money when you need it, hold you when you cry and promise to never hurt you...until death do us part." he said, a grin on his face. Ashlynn sniffled a bit, doing her best not to cry, though it was apparent that she was one step away from the dam bursting.

"Those were some lovely vows and stories from our Bride and Groom...now then, will the ring bearer please bring the rings forward?" Milton said firmly. Rosabella stood up from her seat, walking toward the alter with Daring Jr. in her hands, the little boy was holding onto a small pillow, which had the two rings on them.

Blake took a hold of Ashlynn's ring, and she took his, both thanking Rosabella and Daring Jr for bringing them the rings. Blake glanced at the band in his hand, one that he himself had designed. It was made out of pure gold, with flower designs on the sides. Just like the engagement ring, it had Ashlynn's name written on it, and decorated with very small white diamonds, making it glitter brightly in the sun. He looked up from the ring, giving Ashlynn a smile.

"Now that we have the rings, let us continue with the ceremony. Ashlynn, please repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed." Milton said, his eyes trained on the young woman.

"With this ring, I thee wed." Ashlynn repeated, her voice shaky as she slipped the ring onto Blake's finger.

"Blake, repeat after me...With this ring, I thee wed."

"With this ring, I thee wed." Blake said, biting his lip as he slipped the ring onto Ashlynn's finger, in front of her engagement ring. Milton smiled, closing his notebook happily, giving a nod to the couple.

"By the power vested in me, by His and Her Royal Highness, Henri and Cinderella, I now pronounce you, Prince and Princess Blake Jeremiah Queen, and Ashlynn Ella Queen. You may now update your Mirror Book status." he said, causing the crowd to burst into laughter.

Once they had settled down a bit, Blake leaned down to kiss his bride on the lips. Cheers exploded from the crowd, the sounds of camera shudders and flashes filling the area, being drowned out only by the wedding march that had finally started to play. The two separated, hugging each other tightly. Before they could leave however, King Henri approached his new son-in-law, holding a beautiful golden crown in his hands. Blake bowed his head slightly allowing the man to place it atop his head. He shook his hand once more, before he and his wife started their walk down the aisle, where Cadence and Nevermore had been waiting for them.

"Well...see you at the reception!" Blake said happily, helping Ashlynn onto Nevermore, handing her the reins before he climbed onto Cadence. Both dragons roared loudly, shooting off into the sky.

 _ **xxx**_

A few hours had passed since Ashlynn and Blake had officially gotten married. The reception was in full swing, having been held at Ever After High, the school where they had met. It had been a choice that the two had made, wanting to use their wedding as an excuse for a High school reunion. Legacy Plaza had been converted into the ultimate party area, the couple had seen so much white they doubted they could see any other colors for a long time. The newlyweds had shared their first drink and their first dance out on the dance floor, separating for a few minutes to greet their guests, and to take a look around the campus of their old school.

It hadn't just been a reunion between their class, but also for their parents as well. He hadn't seen Snow White and his mother argue so much during one night, but a single glare from Raven had been enough for them to pacify whatever had been riling up between them. There was something scarier than the Evil Queen, and that was a pregnant Raven, and she was someone you didn't want to annoy, especially while in her delicate state. Blake had just shook his head, scolding his mother for picking a fight with his step-sister during his wedding night. It had been the first time she had ever apologized...perhaps there was a chance for her to redeem herself.

Melody had taken over the music, playing various new mixes along with some stuff from Purple Rhapsody's greatest hits. Some had wanted the band to play something live, but they were missing their bassist, so they couldn't play anything, something that saddened everyone. Ashlynn and Blake were both sitting down at one of the tables, laughing and smiling, mostly due to the champagne they had been drinking. They had been hugging each other and kissing, and posing for pictures for various relatives, friends and reporters, that had been invited by Blondie for some reason or another. The marriage and coronation of a Prince and Princess was something important, and she had apparently wanted to document it for that it would be a part of history, forever tied to their generation. The two had shared another kiss, being captured by one of the hundreds of cameras all around them.

"I love you Ash, I'm so happy that you and I are married."

"Me too, it's about damn time too. You have no idea how long I've wanted you, and now that we're married, you are not escaping me." she said, giving him a wink. He flushed a bit, giving her a smirk.

"Well you better get ready then...I like to get kissed before I get fucked."

"Oh god...please tell me the pillow talk isn't starting? Jeez, couldn't you at least wait until you get home for that?" Raven cried, narrowing her eyes.

"Come on sis, it's our wedding night...is it wrong for us to want to start the honeymoon early? We'll be leaving right after your due date and Dexter returns. It isn't our fault that we're two horny kids wanting to tear our clothes off." Ashlynn replied, earning a sigh from Raven.

"Great...you've poisoned her...well, this wasn't exactly the fairytale ball people had been expecting...but it was definitely a fairytale wedding. You two are absolutely glowing, and I'm happy that you found each other."

"Thanks Raven...you'll always be my special girl you know." he said, giving her a wink.

"Yeah...I know that, and I can't wait for you two too...Ow."

"Raven...are you alright?" Ashlynn asked, worry washing over her face. Raven took a deep breath, giving her sister-in-law a smile.

"I'm fine...nothing to worry about." she said cheerfully.

Seconds later, the newlyweds heard a loud snap followed by a rush of water hitting the marble floor. Raven looked at the floor, chuckling slightly when she saw the rush of water that had fallen rushed out of her body. She glanced up at her brother and sister, sucking her teeth.

"So...guess this sucker is coming now."

"Oh Jesus, someone call an ambulance. Raven's water broke!" Blake called out, earning several surprised cries from some of the guests. He grabbed one of the nearby chairs, helping his sister into it.

"Are you alright Raven? Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine, ow...okay...the contractions are starting...oh this shit hurts."

"You'll be fine, you've done this before...just breathe...I'll be here for you and so will Ash." Blake said, taking a hold of her hand.

"Momma...are you alright?" Zelda cried, having run toward her mother along with Apple who had been taking care of her for the night.

"I'm fine sweetheart, your little brother or sister is coming. Nothing to be afraid about, remember what we talked about."

"Yay! Auntie Apple, I need to get diapers, a blanket, papa's phone number and a tub of ice cream!"

"Uh...okay...what's the ice cream for?" Apple asked, earning a shrug from Raven.

"Hell if I know, I never said Ice cream...OW...god, you'd think that after the first one, you'd get used to this!" she cried, causing Apple to grab a hold of Zelda.

"Apple, do you think you could leave Zelda with your mom? Someone has to go back to Cendrillion to get Raven's things."

"Sure, we can go together...one of our limos it outside, we can be there and back in minutes." she said. He nodded, turning to Ashlynn, giving her a kiss on the lips.

"I'll be right back honey, you take care of Raven for me okay?"

"I will, go...I'll see you at the hospital." she said, giving him another kiss before following Apple out of the plaza.

"Fuck me...I'm so sorry Ash, I didn't mean to ruin your wedding night...now you won't even get laid."

"Honey that's the least of my worries. Dexter isn't here, so Blake has to be there for you, and I will too. You just focus on delivering this baby, we'll be there to help you with whatever you need." she said, earning a smile from the daughter of the Evil Queen.

"Thank you...let's just hope this baby hurries up."

Blake and Ashlynn had finally gotten married, and had been ready to start the first day of the rest of their lives. But of course life never goes as one would expect. This night is going to be a memorable one, not just because Blake and Ashlynn were married, or that Blake was now a Prince...but also because Raven was going to give birth on the night that they had gotten married. It would give them another beautiful reminder of the day that had sealed their love for all of eternity.


End file.
